Government's ambiguous stance on PDI deplored

Government's ambiguous stance on PDI deplored

JAKARTA (JP): A political scientist deplores the government's ambiguous stance over the ongoing dissension within the minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Ramlan Surbakti of Airlangga University in Surabaya, East Java, said that while the government claims to recognize the leadership of Megawati Soekarnoputri, it has allowed her opponent to hold meetings and establish rival boards.

He said the ambiguous stance reflects the government's wish to control and align the party so that it is manned only by people it deems acceptable.

"The government's effort to control political parties ... has gone too far," he told The Jakarta Post. He added that the ways chosen by the authorities to control the organizations even "violate laws on political parties".

He said that according to the laws, the government and local administrators are to function as "patrons", or those who guide the political parties. However, supervision over the political parties should be limited to questions of ideology and not involve the organizations' day-to-day affairs.

Megawati recently said that since she was elected to the chair of the PDI at a congress in 1993, her leadership had been repeatedly challenged. One of her most pressing difficulties is the existence of rival boards of the West Java, East Java and South Sumatra branches of the PDI.

Her opponent, Jusuf Merukh, who claims to be party chairman, recently "inaugurated" the lineup of the branch leadership of the South Sumatra branch.

He held the gathering without permits from the authorities. A colleague of Jusuf, Rahadi, said his group did not encounter any difficulties or objections from the local authorities.

Megawati herself attempted to curb the deepening rift in East Java, by convening a meeting of all provincial branch leaders. This attempt was thwarted when the provincial administration refused to issue a permit for the meeting.

Ramlan said the ambiguity in the government's stance was intentional. "It's meant as an effort to consolidate power, and to make sure that all political parties are manned by people who are acceptable by the government," he said.

"This is an effort to ensure that the outcome of the 1997 general elections will be as the government wishes, and that is a victory for the ruling Golkar," he said.

He said he believes that attempts to undermine Megawati's leadership will continue and will take many forms. (swe)