East Java PDI branch dissidents strike back
East Java PDI branch dissidents strike back
JAKARTA (JP): Dissidents of the rift-plagued Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) from East Java struck back at their opponents yesterday.
They turned up at the House of Representatives to respond to accusations hurled by Subagio, a PDI House member of the opposing camp, that they have acted like "street gangsters."
Subagio had criticized the dissidents for rejecting the PDI central executive board's policy on the East Java PDI leadership, provoking the government to meddle in the party's internal affairs.
The nine-member delegation, led by Sani Setiadi, was met by members of House Commission II overseeing domestic affairs but PDI commission representatives were conspicuously absent. The dissidents disclosed their internal conflict to legislators from the PDI's rival parties, the United Development Party (PPP) and the ruling Golkar faction as well as the Armed Forces.
Subagio made the remarks during a hearing between the commission and Minister of Home Affairs Moch Yogie S.M. last week.
"Subagio should know that the party's crisis in East Java was triggered by decree No. 043. He should have learned from us before he made the statement," Sani said.
The decree issued by chief of the PDI central executive board Megawati Soekarnoputri in 1994 appointed Sutjipto to replace Latief Pudjosakti as the new East Java chapter chair after a congress failed to elect a new chairman.
As loyalists of Latief, they rejected the decree and still recognize him as their legitimate leader. The leadership conflict prompted East Java governor Basofi Sudirman to controversially exclude the PDI from the provincial committee for the 1997 general election, and thereby provoke another storm.
Setiadi said the July 12-13, 1994, congress in Malang, East Java, failed to elect a new chapter chairman after it was discovered that the number of ballot papers exceeded the number of participants eligible to vote.
To break the deadlock, the congress formed an eight member electoral board chaired by Megawati to elect the new chapter board of executives.
Just a day ahead of the Aug. 13 deadline, the electoral board again failed to elect a new leadership. Three board members, including Megawati walked out of the meeting and the remaining five voted for Latief, who received government backing.
"The majority of the board members had decided to elect Latief. About 10 days later, Megawati came out with her own choice. How come?" he said.
House member Daniel Toding refused to discuss the matter and only promised to bring the dissidents' protest to the attention of "the relevant parties."
Local leadership conflict which might provoke government intervention is also brewing within the PPP branch of the Pekanbaru municipality in Riau.
The Antara news agency reported yesterday that chief of the Riau provincial PPP chapter Kadir Abbas is enraged by the party's central executive board's rejection of Syahril Syam, elected branch chairman by a recent congress.
Instead, PPP central executive board chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum chose Azhar Salim to lead the branch office for the 1995-2000 term.
"Syahril Syam was elected democratically in the congress. How can the central executive board force its own choice on us?" Kadir said.
In the congress held in September last year, Azhar was appointed deputy chairman. Pekanbaru mayor Oesman Effendy has said the government recognizes Azhar Salim.
Kadir vows to defend the congress' decision and branded Ismail Hasan's intervention as "undemocratic." (pan)