E. Java officials at odds over PDI leadership rift

E. Java officials at odds over PDI leadership rift

SURABAYA (JP): The leadership conflict in Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI)'s East Java chapter reached a new stage
yesterday when government officials issued contradictory signals
as to how it should be resolved.

Chief of the Brawijaya regional military command Maj. Gen.
Imam Utomo said here Monday that East Java Governor Basofi
Soedirman and other local officials were sending the problem back
to the Ministry of Home Affairs. "We'll let the central
government take over," Imam said. "The central government will
find the solutions."

Governor Basofi did not confirm Imam's statement, saying only
that he and Imam were recently summoned to Jakarta to brief the
ministry on the protracted conflict.

However, Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. denied that
officials from East Java have requested that the ministry
intervene.

"Check the reports again," Yogie told journalists yesterday.

Ministry spokeswoman H.S.A. Yusacc said the reports were
groundless and that provincial officials never made the request.

"The provincial officials know the rules, so it's impossible
that they would just abandon their responsibilities like that,"
Yusacc said.

Time is running out for all parties involved as the first
stage of the 1997 general election begins on May 1 with the
registration of voters.

Basofi has given the party until May to resolve the impasse
and come up with representatives to sit on the committee.

The provincial administration decided in January to leave the
PDI unrepresented on the East Java election monitoring committee.

The rivalry involves Soetjipto, who has the backing of PDI
chief Megawati Soekarnoputri, and Latief Pudjosakti, who claims
to have the support of most of the PDI branches in East Java.
Even now, the two continue to debate over who the "constitutional
chairman" really is.

The government has said several times it would maintain a
hands-off policy and leave the PDI to solve the conflict.

Soetjipto said yesterday that he welcomed the reported
decision of Imam and Basofi to ask the government to intervene.
"It seems that the provincial government is trying to handle this
situation in a constitutional manner," he said.

Sources have told The Jakarta Post that Latief was not pleased
with the decision but that he said he would go along with it.
(15/imn)