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.