Lawyers lash out at military over PDI headquarters

Lawyers lash out at military over PDI headquarters

JAKARTA (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri's fight against the
military and the government's backing of Soerjadi, who ousted her
as the chief of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), is
continuing apace across the country.

Yesterday, a team of lawyers representing her lashed out at
Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan
Hamid for his Thursday statement that the party's headquarters on
Jl. Diponegoro, in Central Jakarta -- which Megawati's supporters
currently occupy -- should be handed over to Soerjadi.

"The headquarters will remain Megawati's until the court
decides otherwise," the lawyers said in a petition yesterday.

The petition, co-signed by the lawyer's coordinator, Amartiwi
Saleh, and the team's chairman, R.O. Tambunan, was sent to
Syarwan Hamid yesterday. A copy of the petition was made
available to The Jakarta Post.

Syarwan has said that Megawati did not have the right to
occupy the headquarters anymore since she was no longer the
legitimate chief of the party. He also indicated that ABRI would
help Soerjadi should he decide to take over the office from
Megawati.

There have been rumors that a group of Soerjadi's men might
take over the headquarters soon. This has not, so far, proved to
be correct.

Soerjadi was elected PDI chairman in a government-sponsored
congress held in Medan, North Sumatra, last month. He replaced
Megawati, whose leadership term was supposed to end in 1998.

Megawati filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit at the Central
Jakarta District Court on July 4, demanding that the court
nullify the rebel congress and its result, and declare her the
legitimate PDI leader.

Yesterday the lawyers questioned Syarwan's position when he
made the statement. "He acted as if he were a government
spokesman, who represented Soerjadi's interest," the petition
charged. "He shouldn't have involved himself so far in non-
military problems."

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Megawati's camp denied that
her faction was involved in a call by political activists for a
nationwide strike due to start today.

Some 300 activists marching yesterday in support of Megawati
distributed pamphlets calling for the strike from Saturday to
Monday. "It's high time the people, in a dignified and
prestigious way, get together to hold a general strike all over
Indonesia," said the unsigned pamphlets.

The supporters have staged a number of protests, including a
peaceful march yesterday from the House of Representatives to PDI
headquarters eight kilometers away.

The pamphlets also called on people to gather at PDI
headquarters today and tomorrow in support of Megawati.

According to Reuters, news of the possibility of a strike
rattled the foreign exchange market as it came on the eve of the
annual two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta.

The military has said it will take tough action to prevent
political unrest during the meeting and the subsequent ASEAN
Regional Forum gathering.

The group of Megawati's supporters yesterday demanded that
House Speaker Wahono remind President Soeharto to recognize
Megawati Soekarnoputri as the legitimate PDI leader.

Calling themselves the Communication Forum for Indonesian
Voices, the protesters also demanded that the House Speaker
prevent any disintegration which may result if the current
political developments continued. (imn)