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.