Mega backs Sutiyoso, angry with city chapters

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati Soekarnoputri defied the wishes of her party's branches and its members by announcing on Tuesday that the party's central board supported the reelection of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.

"We have considered the pros and cons of Sutiyoso's nomination," the party's central board secretary general Sutjipto said after a meeting at Megawati's home in Central Jakarta.

Sutjipto said his party would back Sutiyoso, a former Jakarta Military Commander, for security reasons, as he was expected to secure the next general election in 2004 and the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly to elect the president in 2005.

He also hailed Sutiyoso, for having survived during the transition period of four recent presidents: Soeharto, B.J. Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati.

Megawati's decision to nominate Sutiyoso was clearly against the aspirations of the party's six branches in the city. Earlier this month, they proposed 11 gubernatorial candidates, but not Sutiyoso.

Hundreds of party members also staged a rally at the City Council building to protest Sutiyoso's nomination. They sharply criticized Megawati for her support of Sutiyoso, and called her a traitor. The protesters argued that Sutiyoso was still a suspect for his alleged involvement in the bloody attack against the party's headquarters on July 27, 1996.

Sutjipto said on Tuesday that the nomination of Sutiyoso, whose five-year term ends in October, should not halt the legal process.

Although Megawati has decided on her position, the party's city chapter chairman and council deputy chairman Tarmidi Suhardjo pledged to join the race for the election, which will be held on Sept. 17.

He was among 11 candidates who were proposed by the party's six branches here.

Tarmidi earlier said that Megawati would nominate him as the deputy governor. At first, he said that he would accept her decision. But he later stated that he preferred to be "slapped" by Megawati and kicked out of the party rather than betraying his supporters and withdraw his nomination.

Last year Tarmidi and two other councillors were named suspects in a controversial trip overseas dubbed Ancolgate. They had received Rp 50 million and US$5,000 but did not actually take the October 2000 trip.

Tarmidi and some 25 party councillors met Megawati on Monday night to discuss the party stance.

Megawati was reportedly angry with the stance of the party's city chapter members.

Separately, councillor Audi I.Z. Tambunan said that Tarmidi would be lacking in discipline if he stayed in the race.

"Megawati, as the party chairwoman, has the right to choose the party's candidates. Tarmidi could be expelled from the party if he defies her order," Audi said.

But a councillor from the party, Pantas Nainggolan, believed that Tarmidi could still be nominated by the party's faction.

If the faction nominated Tarmidi, some councillors could vote for him as the voting would be conducted secretly.

The election would be determined by the council's 84 councillors. PDI Perjuangan has 30 seats, the National Mandate party has 13 seats, the United Development Party has 12 seats and the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police has nine seats, the Golkar Party has eight seats and the remaining seats belong to small parties.