Guruh no show for PDI meeting

Guruh no show for PDI meeting

JAKARTA (JP): Guruh Soekarnoputra failed to show up to an
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) meeting where he was due to
clear-up rumors that he may jump-ship to the ruling Golkar.

PDI faction leaders waited one and a half-hours in vain for
the member of the House of Representatives' Commission IX in
charge of education and culture.

"We are going to report this to the party's executive board,"
said Markus Wauran, secretary of PDI faction at the House of
Representatives, reported Antara.

In a letter dated Oct. 31, 1996 and signed by Fatimah Achmad,
chairperson of PDI faction at the House, Guruh had been asked to
attend the meeting at 12 a.m. yesterday. His secretary had said
he would attend.

Party executives will schedule another meeting. "We will
tolerate him and give him three opportunities," Markus said.

But it is possible he may be dismissed if he refuses to come
to the next meetings.

"Wait and see. It could happen," Markus said.

Guruh is the younger brother of ousted PDI chief Megawati
Soekarnoputri, both children of the late Sukarno, Indonesia's
founding father and first president. He displayed great support
for Megawati when the latter was unseated by government-backed
Soerjadi at a congress in June in Medan, North Sumatra.

Fatimah was one of a number of party executives sacked by
Megawati earlier this year, but reinstated by the current
executive board under Soerjadi.

Speculations, that Guruh might abandon the conflict-ridden
party and jump ship to Kosgoro, a cooperative affiliated with
Golkar, have grown since he appeared in public recently with
Golkar leaders.

Guruh, a choreographer and accomplished musician, produced his
latest album, entitled NTXTC (No To Ecstasy), in cooperation with
Kosgoro.

Guruh had dismissed the speculations, saying he wanted to
concentrate on arts and cultural activities because his position
as a legislator had not allowed him to do more for the
development of arts and culture in the country.

He promised to carry out his duties as legislator until the
end of his tenure in October 1997.

"I have etiquette. I joined officially and I will leave
formally too," Guruh said, adding that he has not been listed as
a PDI candidate for another term. (ste)