Dimyati solicits political support from Rachmawati

Dimyati solicits political support from Rachmawati

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After resigning from the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Dimyati Hartono is now seeking
political support for his plan to establish a new party.

Dimyati, a senior member of PDI Perjuangan, met Rachmawati
Soekarnoputri on Wednesday to discuss her possible involvement in
his planned party -- My Indonesian Motherhood Party (PITA).

Rachmawati is the sister of President Megawati Soekarnoputri,
who is also chairperson of PDI Perjuangan.

Rachmawati and Megawati are potential vote getters as they are
daughters of the popular first Indonesian president Sukarno.

After a one-hour meeting, Rachmawati told reporters that she
had been informed that Dimyati would form a new party and she had
even perused the party's statutes.

She said that she was interested in the proposal, saying that
she and Dimyati held the same vision to save the country, which
was currently mired by a multidimensional crisis.

"We hold the same vision, namely nationalism. We will keep the
Republic of Indonesia united, safeguard the Constitution and
state ideology Pancasila and support world peace," she said
during an informal meeting with Dimyati and reporters held at
Bung Karno University in Central Jakarta.

However, she underscored that she needed to thoroughly study
Dimyati's proposal.

"I am still thinking whether I will join the party," she said.

Rachmawati has publicly declared her opposition to Megawati on
several occasions, saying that she and Dimyati were altogether
disappointed by PDI Perjuangan.

"PDI Perjuangan has violated its past commitments," she said.

PDI Perjuangan was previously committed to safeguarding the
Constitution, but currently executives of the party have
supported the amendment of some articles in the Constitution, she
said.