Megawati loyalists protest

Megawati loyalists protest

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
activists loyal to Megawati Soekarnoputri staged a demonstration
yesterday, demanding representation in next month's election.

The activists occupied large sections of Jl. Gatot Subroto
thoroughfare across from the House of Representatives building
after troops denied them entry to the compound.

The six-hour demonstration caused heavy traffic jams on Jl.
Sudirman, Jl. Thamrin, in the Pancoran area, and along Jl. Gatot
Subroto.

The protesters, who came from towns in Java and Sumatra,
demanded a meeting with House Speaker Wahono to relay their
requests to the government, but to no avail. Some 500 riot
police, armed with batons and tear gas cannons, barred them from
entering the House compound.

Military troops arrived when the fiery crowd pulled out the
House's main gate and threw it onto the street. They effectively
blocked the entrance.

There were no reported incidents. PDI activists said about
20,000 people took part in the protest while Jakarta military
chief Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso put the number at "less than 2,000".
Cautious witnesses said there were around 5,000 protesters.

At least nine helicopters belonging to the Army, Navy and
National Police hovered above the demonstration. Sutiyoso said
the choppers were conducting a routine exercise ahead of the May
29 election.

Five police armored vehicles secured the vicinity of the House
complex.

Last year's government-backed party rebel congress in Medan
dethroned Megawati, daughter of the country's first president
Sukarno, and returned Soerjadi to the party's helm.

Conflict between the two factions peaked in the forceful
takeover of PDI's headquarters on July 27, which left at least
five people killed, 149 injured and 23 missing.

The government has barred the Megawati-led PDI from running in
the May 29 polls after the National Election Institute refused
its list of election candidates. Instead, the institute accepted
Soerjadi's list which excluded Megawati and her supporters.

The Moslem-oriented United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and
the PDI will vie for 425 of 500 House seats in the May 29
election.

Criticized

The crowd, mostly youths dressed in red and white as well as
red and black, the party's dominant colors, crowded around the
House's main gate on Jl. Gatot Subroto at 8.30 a.m.

They yelled in support and waved pictures of Megawati, while
chanting condemnation to the government-recognized PDI chairman
Soerjadi. A number of red banners decorated the nearby pedestrian
bridge.

Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, a PDI legislator loyal to Megawati,
tried to calm the crowd. He criticized the House leadership for
not allowing the protesters into the building.

"Why were they prevented from entering their own house? Is
this the kind of democracy we want?" he asked.

After three hours of negotiations between demonstrators and
staff of the House secretariat, 10 of Megawati's grassroot
supporters read out their statement before spokesman Endang
Paryono in place of Wahono.

Coup

The statement, read by Suleman, a subdistrict cadre from
Pisangan Baru, East Jakarta, said that Megawati's supporters
have properly implemented the 1997 general election process.

"On the contrary... the government had unlawfully supported
and encouraged a group of individuals with the mentality of
parasites to hold a breakaway congress in June 1996," it said.

In the statement, Megawati's loyalists accused the government
of having launched "a coup d'etat within PDI" which had damaged
Indonesia's image among the international community.

Soetardjo read the same statement before the crowd while the
10 representatives met with the House secretariat staff.

Sixteen PDI legislators, including Soetardjo, Marcel Beding,
Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas, her brother Guruh Soekarnoputra
and four members of the People's Consultative Assembly, signed
the statement.

Megawati's signature is not included on the list. Marcel said
that "the statement does not have anything to do with the party's
policy," and that "we failed to meet with Megawati to ask for her
signature".

Abdul Madjid, one of the party's founding fathers, said that a
number of Megawati's sympathizers had pledged not to vote in the
election, accusing the government of abusing the 1945
Constitution.

One of the demonstration's leaders, Aziz Buang, a former city
councilor, said that Megawati loyalists had yet to plan another
demonstration. "We are waiting for our leaders' further
instruction," he said.

Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Slamet Supriadi slammed the
demonstration, saying "security authorities will not hesitate to
take harsh measures against another demonstration". (12/aan/amd)