Government endorses new PDI board

Government endorses new PDI board

By M.M.I. Ahyani and Imanuddin

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): The government-sponsored congress
of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) yesterday elected
Soerjadi as party chairman to replace Megawati Soekarnoputri, who
has stayed away from the meeting she has branded
unconstitutional.

Both the government and the military quickly endorsed the
congress' decision to appoint Soerjadi and the line up of the 39-
strong central executive board as the legal leaders of the party
to replace the board chaired by Megawati.

"I congratulate Mr. Soerjadi on his election as chairman of
the PDI Central Executive Board," Minister of Home Affairs Moch.
Yogie S.M. said when he closed the three-day congress held at the
Pangkalan Masyhur Haj Dormitory.

Yogie acknowledged that the new board still has to win over
PDI supporters who disagreed with the congress.

"You have to continue to deliberate to reach consensus for the
sake of everyone's future. Let's contribute to the success of the
1997 general election ," he said.

Yogie told reporters later that the congress was legal and so
therefore were all its decisions. "This is what we (the
government) hold on to," he said, when asked about the future of
Megawati and her board.

The Armed Forces (ABRI) also said that it will only recognize
the board headed by Soerjadi.

ABRI Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid
said the congress is the highest decision-making organ in the
party, and therefore its results must be respected.

ABRI is ready to ensure the full implementation of the
congress, Syarwan told reporters. "I think Soerjadi's leadership
can unite the various PDI elements," he added.

The congress was organized by Fatimah Achmad, a deputy on
Megawati's board, who formed a splinter group with 15 other
members of the Central Executive Board.

Megawati, who was counting on the support of the remaining 11
board members, has fired the dissident members.

The congress effectively leaves the PDI with two central
executive boards: One under Soerjadi with the support of the
government, and the other under Megawati, who commands strong
public support as was apparent from the massive protests on her
behalf in Jakarta and other cities last week.

It also sets the tone for a potential showdown between the two
rival boards for the right to occupy the PDI's headquarters in
Central Jakarta.

The headquarters have been guarded round the clock by
supporters of Megawati for the past week.

When this issue was asked of Syarwan, the general said this
was something that the two boards must settle by themselves.

But if ABRI was asked to help, "we will help," he said.

Soerjadi told The Jakarta Post that he and the new board
intend to work from the headquarters as soon as possible, but
stressed that he would not use force to enter the building.

"It would be better if we can get a new place. But since there
is no other place, then we will have to go there," he said.

The PDI headquarters are in the same premises as those of the
United Development Party (PPP) on Jl. Diponegoro, Central
Jakarta. The building is leased by the government.

In Jakarta, Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, a deputy chairman on
Megawati's board, announced at a media conference yesterday that
the board plans to file a lawsuit against Minister Yogie for
endorsing the congress by the breakaway group.

Separately, Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation chairman Bambang
Widjojanto told the Post yesterday that he and a team of lawyers
was helping Megawati's PDI board to prepare the lawsuit to be
filed at the Jakarta State Administrative Court.

On Friday, on the eve of the congress decision to appoint
Soerjadi, Megawati declared that she was still the rightful
leader of the party because the congress in Medan was in
violation of the party's statutes and bylaws.

Soetardjo reiterated the point yesterday upon hearing the news
from Medan. "Soerjadi's leadership is illegitimate," he said.

He also stressed that none of the board members loyal to
Megawati would accept Soerjadi's offer to join the new board.

Two of the 11 members on Megawati's board, I Gusti Ngurah Sara
and Syafei Ali Gumay, have been offered places on the new board
under Soerjadi.