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)