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)