July 27 victims oppose Sutiyoso

July 27 victims oppose Sutiyoso

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dozens of members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) rallied in front of City Hall on
Wednesday to demand that Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso not be elected
for a second term.

The protesters, who burned an effigy of the governor during
the action, said Sutiyoso should be barred from a second term
because of his alleged role in the bloody attack on the party
headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta, on July 27,
1996.

The party was chaired by Megawati Soekarnoputri at the time of
the attack, and after she was removed as party chairwoman by the
government she formed PDI Perjuangan.

"Sutiyoso is not eligible to contest the election for the next
governor because he is responsible for the attack," said A.
Fikri, the leader of the July 27 Youth Movement, which reportedly
groups hundreds of victims of the attack.

Fikri said Sutiyoso must stand trial and be held accountable
for his role in the incident.

Sutiyoso was the Jakarta Military commander at the time of the
attack, which claimed the lives of numerous party supporters.

Investigations into the incident have pointed to Sutiyoso's
alleged role in the attack, but the case has never gone to court.

Despite this bloody history, PDI Perjuangan city councillor
Maringan Pangaribuan earlier said the party would consider
nominating Sutiyoso for a second term if he joined PDI
Perjuangan.

"We don't even trust our representatives on the City Council.
How could they support Sutiyoso? The (PDI Perjuangan) councillors
who supported him have sold the party's name," Fikri said
angrily.

The protesters said they hoped to discuss their concerns with
Megawati later on Wednesday.

In response to the protest, Sutiyoso simply said he had been
questioned by the police and prosecutors regarding his alleged
involvement in the attack, and would continue to obey all
judicial procedures.

"This is nothing new. It (rallies) usually happens before an
election," he said.

Ahead of the election of Jakarta's next governor, scheduled to
take place in October, 30 non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
have demanded that Sutiyoso resign over his failure to manage the
recent floods in the city, which claimed dozens of lives. The
NGOs will represent flood victims in a civil suit they plan to
file against Sutiyoso in the Central Jakarta District Court this
week.

Other NGOs have urged the City Council to elect a new governor
with a civilian background rather than a military one.