Edi Sudradjat urges PDI rivals to unite
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudradjat appealed to the bickering factions of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to unite for the good of the nation and the party.
"If there are two camps claiming the party's leadership, they should meet. They are part of the same family after all," Edi told reporters after a hearing of the House of Representatives' Commission I on security.
He urged the two rival camps to exercise wisdom, describing the PDI as a "national asset vital to the future of the nation."
The PDI's leadership is split into two factions: One under Soerjadi which was formed at a rebel congress in Medan last week. It has the support of the government and the military; the other faction is headed by Megawati Soekarnoputri. It relies on the support of loyal party members.
After receiving official recognition as the PDI's leader, Soerjadi wants to regain control of its headquarters at number 58, Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta. The office is occupied and guarded around-the-clock by hundreds of Megawati supporters.
Soerjadi told The Jakarta Post by phone last night that it was his intention to work from the PDI office.
He said he would wait for all 39 members of the central executive board, who were elected at the Medan congress, to arrive before he would decide when to take the office. "At the moment, most of the board members are still out of town," he said.
The Armed Forces have promised to help Soerjadi retake the headquarters if asked, but police said yesterday they had not received any request for assistance.
Anti-riot police have been stationed around the PDI headquarters to maintain peace and order. Hundreds of Megawati supporters guarding the headquarters have remained peaceful, but their presence and the police's presence have caused massive traffic jams around Jl. Diponegoro.
Alexander Litaay, the secretary-general of Megawati's board, said yesterday his camp had no intention of giving up the headquarters, maintaining that Megawati had the legal right to leadership.
He urged the government's Ministry of Home Affairs to set up an independent inquiry into the legality of last week's congress.
He said Megawati's board had received testimonies from 259 of the 306 PDI branches rejecting the congress and its results.
He suggested the inquiry should consist of members of the National Commission on Human Rights and public figures of known integrity.
"The legality of the congress cannot be determined unilaterally by the government relying solely on its power," Litaay said.
Megawati has announced she intends to sue Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. and the National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo for allowing the congress to proceed. A separate suit against the rebel PDI members who organized the congress is also planned.
R.O. Tambunan, one of Megawati's lawyers, said yesterday that he was working on a civil suit against the home minister. "We will file the lawsuit either at the Central or South Jakarta District Court next week," he said.
He would not specify the legal grounds for the suit.
"Let the court decide who the legitimate PDI leader is," he said, adding that until a court decides otherwise, Megawati legally claims the PDI throne.
Bambang Widjojanto, Megawati's lawyer from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, said he was considering a lawsuit against the government in the International Court of Justice.
"This will draw international attention and hopefully impact on the local political system and conditions," he said.
Litaay questioned the military's announcement that it would not issue permits allowing PDI branches to hold local congresses, as demanded by Megawati. This is a civil matter for the home minister, not the military, he said.
Meanwhile, Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Abdurrahman Wahid, who is known to be close to Megawati, said he had no intention of meddling in PDI affairs. "I will morally support Megawati but no more than that," he told reporters after addressing a seminar on broadcasting. (imn/bsr)
Political change -- Page 2