Mega backs Sutiyoso, angry with city chapters

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.