'Long march' for Megawati ends

'Long march' for Megawati ends

JAKARTA (JP): Members and supporters of the dispute-ridden
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) concluded their "long march"
yesterday outside the House of Representatives in support of the
ousted party leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Led by Roch Basoeki Mangoenpoerojo, a retired army colonel,
the 100-strong group calling itself the Constitution-loving PDI
Cadres met People's Consultative Assembly Deputy Speaker
Amiruddin to cap off their six-day plane hop from Bali.

The group disbanded after relaying Amiruddin their concerns
about the rift in the PDI.

In the brief meeting, Basoeki called on the People's
Consultative Assembly to remind the government to enforce the law
consistently and improve public services.

The group demanded that the government revoke the PDI's list
of legislative candidates pending a court decision on the party's
leadership dispute. And they suggested the Armed Forces break its
affiliation with Golkar and the bureaucracy.

"It's now up to the conscience of the 1,000 members of the
assembly whether they will take our demands into consideration,"
Basoeki said.

Under tight security, the long march from Denpasar got only as
far as Surabaya before the East Java military command flew the
PDI activists back to Bali.

The East Java and Nusa Tenggara military commands had agreed
to prevent the long march, saying that security risks were too
great.

Immediately after Basoeki declared that the march had ended,
the activists regrouped and demonstrated in the House of
Representatives compound. Under the watchful eyes of riot police,
they unfurled a red banner which read "Megawati must win".

"This is a spontaneous expression of each individual, because
as a group we did not lend support to any camps. We just wanted
to show our concern for the party," said Basoeki, who joined the
cheering crowd.

Willy Najoan, who joined the long march, said that most of the
group had pledged their allegiance to Megawati who was dethroned
in a government-backed congress last year. The congress appointed
former chairman Soerjadi to the party's helm.

"We are now waiting for her (Megawati's) instructions on the
general election," said Willy, an account manager of a computer
training company.

Megawati loyalist Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno said earlier that
Megawati's camp had severed its relationship with Basoeki.

Megawati, who soared to the party's pinnacle in 1994, is
believed to have retained the loyalty of many PDI supporters
despite Soerjadi's claim that his leadership has full support
from the party's grassroots.

Strike

Yogyakarta police and security personnel forcibly dispersed a
demonstration by about 200 Megawati supporters at Gadjah Mada
University campus yesterday. They confiscated dozens of placards
and banners emblazoned with support for the ousted chief of the
PDI.

Calling themselves the Committee for Indonesian Democracy, the
students said they were hunger striking for Megawati's
reinstatement and democracy.

The demonstrators took turns at speaking and reading poems.
Occasionally they yelled: "Boycott the general elections."

Witnesses said 23 students and activists were arrested.
Several protesters and bystanders said they were beaten by
security personnel. (amd/23)