Haryanto files complaint against top PDI-P executive
Haryanto files complaint against top PDI-P executive
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
House of Representatives legislator Haryanto Taslam, of the
ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, filed a lawsuit
on behalf of his colleagues against the party's secretary general
Sutjipto on Friday over document forgery and defamation.
"We filed the lawsuit after all efforts to solve the problem
ended in a deadlock," Haryanto told reporters after meeting with
Jakarta city police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara.
Haryanto had given Sutjipto and the party's top executives
until Thursday to respond to his demand for the revocation of a
decree to dismiss his client, M. Basuki, as head of the party's
Surabaya branch office.
Accompanying Haryanto was lawyer Gelora Tarigan.
The legislator at the House Commission II on Law and Home
Affairs has accused Sutjipto of fabricating documents which
resulted in the ouster of Basuki.
"Sutjipto's statement in a letter saying there was a party
executive board's meeting to dismiss Basuki was all a lie," said
Haryanto, Basuki's legal advisor,
He added that Sutjipto's attitude had tarnished the party's
image because of his attitude, and therefore deserved
administrative sanctions, including dismissal.
Sutjipto, who is the deputy People's Consultative Assembly
speaker, played down the legal action, saying that the party
executive board supported him.
"The executive meeting today decided that the party will not
heed the steps taken by Taslam," Sutjipto said, as quoted by
Antara, at the House building.
Party executives met at their head office on Jl. Pecenongan,
Central Jakarta, without the presence of chair and President
Megawati Soekarnoputri.
The meeting was originally slated for Tuesday, but Megawati
decided to skip it in honor of the Chinese New Year.
Sutjipto had previously said that he was ready for a legal
fight against Basuki and Haryanto.
Internal disputes within the ruling party have grown visible
since the resignation of Sophan Sophiaan from the House and
Assembly last month.
Many have speculated that Sophan's exit was related to the
party's rejection of a proposal to set up by a House special
committee to investigate the involvement of Speaker Akbar
Tandjung in the misuse of a Rp 40 billion fund belonging to the
State Logistic Agency in 1999.
Another PDI Perjuangan Dimyati Hartono followed in Sophan's
footsteps by hinting that he might form a new party.
The most recent party controversy came after former secretary-
general Alex Litaay questioned his removal from the Assembly Ad
Hoc Commission II.
Alex had criticized the party's board of executives for
failing to properly manage the party.
Without a major reshuffle within the party, he said, it would
suffer a major defeat in the 2004 general elections.