Megawati faces new questioning over meeting
Megawati faces new questioning over meeting
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Metropolitan Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata confirmed yesterday that ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Megawati Soekarnoputri was facing a fresh round of questioning over holding an illegal political meeting last week.
Hamami said the police sent a letter Wednesday to President Soeharto seeking his approval to question Megawati. A permit is needed because Megawati is a member of the House of Representatives.
"We are now waiting for a response from the Attorney General," Hamami said.
Megawati organized a rival celebration of the party's 24th anniversary and a breaking of the fast gathering at her residence in Kebagusan, South Jakarta, last Friday.
Earlier that day Armed Forces Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung had threatened the organizers, saying the authorities would "take punitive action" against them for holding a political meeting without a permit. Feisal was attending the official anniversary celebration held by government-recognized PDI chairman Soerjadi in the Central Sulawesi town of Tentena.
Hamami said the gathering at Megawati's house last week contained political overtones, therefore breaking the rules. The government does not recognize Megawati's leadership, despite her repeated claims that she remains the legitimate chairwoman of the party.
Megawati was ousted by Soerjadi in a June 1994 congress organized in Medan, North Sumatra, by a splinter group led by her then deputy Fatimah Achmad. She later retaliated by sacking Fatimah and the other party rebels.
It will be the second police questioning for Megawati, one of the daughters of Indonesia's first president Sukarno.
She was questioned by police last year as a witness in connection with the July 27 riots which followed a forced takeover of the party's headquarters by Soerjadi's supporters. No charges were ever laid.
A Megawati's loyalist, Haryanto Taslam, accused the police of laying illogical charges against her.
"This is unfair. There were many uniformed as well as plainclothes officers hanging around at that gathering. Why didn't they tell us that we were breaking the rules then," Haryanto said.
"We do not need a permit to celebrate our own party's anniversary, neither do Indonesians who commemorate the country's independence day," he added.
Haryanto chaired the organizing committee of the rival celebration. He insisted that he had sent a letter to the National Police, requesting a permit for the gathering.
"The police returned the letter without an explanation," he said.
Robert O. Tambunan, one of Megawati's lawyers, separately said spoke yesterday about planning to sue the police for returning the request.
Haryanto admitted that the meeting was a party function, claiming that Megawati was the legal leader of the party, not Soerjadi.
"The authorities are intentionally trying to undermine our party's existence," Haryanto said.
Another PDI legislator and Megawati loyalist, Aberson Marle Sihaloho will stand trial on Jan. 29 on charges of insulting the President during a speech at the PDI headquarters last year.
Separately, Megawati's team of lawyers led by Robert O. Tambunan said yesterday they were ready to defend their client.
"Megawati, as PDI chairperson, and other party members have the right to celebrate the party's anniversary. The police guidelines say that an anniversary party does not need a permit," Tambunan said.
Tambunan said the gathering was held at Megawati's home because the government refused to allow her to organize the celebration in Denpasar, Bali. (jun/amd/imn)