Megawati camp protests candidate list endorsement

Megawati camp protests candidate list endorsement

JAKARTA (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri is to lodge a protest
with the General Elections Institute today against endorsement of
the list of legislature candidates submitted by Soerjadi, who
last year ousted her from the helm of the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI).

Megawati's central executive board, no longer recognized by
the government, is to send a copy of its protest letter to the
National Commission on Human Rights.

Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, deputy chairman of Megawati's board,
told reporters yesterday the list of legislature candidates
announced by the institute Monday was filed by the "illegal and
unconstitutional" party central board led by Soerjadi.

"As the party's central board, under the legitimate leadership
of Megawati, we strongly protest and reject (Soerjadi's) central
board's list of legislative candidates for the 1997 general
election," he said.

He said Soerjadi's board had not yet been legally recognized
and should therefore not have been allowed to draw up and submit
a list of legislature candidates.

"We are urging the institute to drop (Soerjadi's) list.
Otherwise, it will have unfavorable political impacts and erode
the quality and credibility of the 1997 general election,"
Soetardjo said.

The board also called on the government to "sincerely look
into the real problem and find solutions," Soetardjo said.

Yesterday, Soetardjo was accompanied by the party's secretary-
general Alex Litaay, deputy secretary-general Haryanto Taslam,
and I Gusti Ngurah Sarah. Megawati was absent.

Soetardjo said the protest would also be sent to the National
Commission on Human Rights, which had clearly accused Soerjadi
and his 200 men of involvement in the July 27 violent takeover of
the party's headquarters. The incident led to riots that left
five dead and 23 others still missing.

Alex pointed out Soerjadi's alleged involvement in the
takeover as another factor that made his claim to party
leadership "legally defective". The institute had the right to
turn down lists of legislature candidates drawn up by such
leaders, he pointed out.

Chairman of the Election Screening Committee Sutoyo N.K. urged
the public Monday not to hesitate in lodging complaints to the
institute about any candidates.

However, he said, complaints should be supported by facts so
corrective measures could be taken, adding that justified
complaints could result in the dismissal of candidates.

Separately, the chairman of the 30 million-strong Nahdlatul
Ulama organization, Abdurrahman Wahid, pointed out raising
objections against legislature candidates would be "complicated."

"Complicated, meaning the person filing the objection should
be probed along with various and complicated evidence,"
Abdurrahman told reporters after meeting with Vice President Try
Sutrisno yesterday.

Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said if the institute
had been brave enough to invite objections from the public, it
should have prepared mechanisms for the purpose.

"Let's just see how it (the invitation) turns out," the
chairman of Indonesia's largest Moslem organization said. (08)

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