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)