Mega vows not to quit party post

JAKARTA (JP): President Megawati Soekarnoputri rejected on Tuesday suggestions that she quit her chairmanship of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

She insisted that only the party's extraordinary congress had the right to remove her from the chairmanship before her term of office expired, as stipulated in PDI Perjuangan's internal rules.

PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung said after a party national working meeting that Megawati could only be dismissed as party chairwoman if two-thirds of the approximately 360 regency party branches wanted it so.

"None of the party branches has shown an interest in holding an extraordinary congress," Pramono said. "In fact, if the majority of the party members want her to quit her party post, she will gladly do so."

Critics and observers have called on senior government officials to relinquish their political party posts so that they could be impartial in carrying out their state duties.

Many Cabinet ministers are members of the executive board of their respective parties. Vice President Hamzah Haz remains the chairman of the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP). House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung has also refused to step down from his position as Golkar Party chairman and so has People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais as chief of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

The call for Megawati to quit her party post also came from Dimyati Hartono, a senior member of PDI Perjuangan.

"I said if she retained her party post, it would cause a conflict of interest and that's not good. But I was condemned (by fellow party members) for suggesting it," he said.

The two-day national meeting, which will end on Wednesday, is focusing on revising PDI perjuangan's policies. (dja)