Megawati free to hold private functions: ABRI

JAKARTA (JP): The ousted Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri, is free to hold private functions as long as it does not assume the party's name, Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Yunus Yosfiah said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with a delegation of the government-backed PDI executive board, Yunus maintained that the government only recognized the PDI leadership under chairman Soerjadi.

"We will ban her if she plans to hold an event in the name of PDI," he said.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said Wednesday that his office would not let Megawati hold a celebration of the party's 15th anniversary.

Aritonang said the police would break up such a meeting if she held a ceremony without permission.

A Megawati loyalist, Alexander Litaay, condemned the stance.

"This is the party's anniversary and any member has the right to celebrate," Litaay told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

He said police must give concrete reasons for imposing such a ban adding that police should give their reasons in writing. He also said that it is nearly impossible to separate Megawati's activities from the PDI.

Litaay said he sent a letter to the South Jakarta Police a week ago, informing them of a plan to hold such a celebration.

"We'll go on with our plan to hold the PDI's anniversary celebration Saturday," he said.

Soerjadi has sent letters of invitation to the media and party members for his celebration which will be held on Saturday.

The 25-member PDI delegation, led by Soerjadi, held a one-and- half-an-hour meeting with Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung.

"The PDI delegation came to the Armed Forces headquarters informing them of its plan to hold a leadership meeting next month and a party congress next June," Yunus said.

"They (PDI executives) also sought ABRI's help to secure the two events and the party's ongoing consolidation programs," he added.

Megawati was ousted as PDI chief by Soerjadi in June 1996 in a government-sanctioned congress in Medan, North Sumatra. (imn)