Feuding PDI camps may go separate ways

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid has supported the idea of splitting the divided Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) into two parties if the Megawati Soekarnoputri and Soerjadi camps cannot resolve their differences.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with President B.J. Habibie here yesterday, Syarwan said the government could accept the formation of two PDI parties.

"There's really no problem with a PDI I and PDI II," he said.

Megawati was ousted by Soerjadi as PDI leader in a government- backed congress in 1996. But she and her supporters have remained active in expressing their conviction they are the rightful leaders of the party.

With the resignation of president Soeharto in May, the new government appeared to back away from its rigid acknowledgement of Soerjadi's camp as the rightful PDI.

"It's really hard for me to comment," Syarwan said when asked about the issue of which camp the government would recognize.

"Please settle your (PDI) internal problems yourself."

Syarwan reported to the President on the progress of the revisions of three of the political laws -- on elections, political parties and the structure and role of the People's Consultative Assembly and the House of Representatives -- currently being drafted by a ministry team.

According to Syarwan, 42 new political parties had now been established but the government has not given formal recognition to any of them.

"For now we will register them... Eventually there will be some limitation by certain criteria." He added that a criteria would be a requirement for a party to have branches in the provincial level. (mds)