Megawati promises to sort out PDI's problems

Megawati promises to sort out PDI's problems

JAKARTA (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri yesterday pledged to the
government that she would sort out the conflicts within the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), including the reports that one
of its leaders was a communist, without turning to outside help.

Megawati, who chairs Indonesia's smallest political party,
yesterday went to see Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M.
at his office to discuss the latest development in PDI, which has
been beset by internal problems.

She told reporters later that she gave her word to Yogie that
these conflicts would be resolved in accordance with the party's
constitution and that there was no need for PDI to look for
outside mediation.

These problems include an allegation that the chairman of the
PDI chapter in West Java was a suspected communist, she said. She
declined to go into detail, saying that this and other matters
would be discussed further by the party leadership today.

She also reported to Yogie about the way she was handling the
emergence of a rival executive board by a number of dissenting
members.

The executive board on Tuesday expelled Gerry Mbatemooy, a
former deputy chairman who announced the formation of the rival
board last week.

The expulsion of Gerry and Latief Pudjosakti, a senior party
member in East Java, was also reported to Yogie, she said.

Megawati, who was accompanied by her deputies Soetardjo
Soerjogoeritno, Fatimah Ahmad and Yahya Theo at the meeting, said
the minister in his response also believed that PDI should be
able to resolve its own internal conflicts.

Yogie's spokesman H.S.A. Yussac said the minister stressed the
importance of resolving any conflict through dialog.

On the communist allegation, the minister also suggested that
Megawati consult with people in West Java before taking any
action, Yussac said, adding that the ministry had not received
any report on this issue either.

The West Java military last week said Djadjang Kurniadi, the
local PDI chapter chairman, was strongly suspected to have past
communist links. Djadjang has denied the accusation.

The allegation prompted Gerry, long known to oppose Megawati's
leadership, to form his own executive board, saying that the move
was intended to save the party from communist infiltration. He
said Djadjang's case was not the only one.

Yesterday the Central Java chapter of PDI in Semarang, in
apparent response to Gerry's charges, asked the local military to
confirm or deny allegations that three of the chapter's members
also had communist links.

"If these allegations are correct, then we have to get rid of
those members," said Bantu Soenarjo, the chapter deputy
secretary.

Megawati yesterday also invited Minister Yogie to address PDI
on Jan. 10 in Solo, Central Java, during the party's celebration
of its 22nd anniversary. The minister has agreed to attend the
celebration, Yussac said.

In Solo, the chief organizer of the PDI anniversary, Makyo
Sumaryo, said the party has also invited Abdurrahman Wahid,
chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, to attend the anniversary
commemoration.

Makyo said Megawati will make a speech which will stress the
need for the party to reconcile differences and consolidate its
strength.(emb/har)