Megawati refuses to take responsibility for clashes
Megawati refuses to take responsibility for clashes
JAKARTA (JP): The ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI), Megawati Soekarnoputri, yesterday lashed back at
suggestions that she was responsible for several campaign clashes
with the party's government-backed Soerjadi faction.
In a statement issued yesterday she said the commitment she
made on April 23 -- that the PDI board under her leadership would
not take part in the campaign -- still held firm.
"Thus any suggestion that I have any involvement in the 1997
campaign activities has to be recognized as an act of
manipulation and broad deceit," she said.
On Monday, the second day of the campaign period, about 5,000
reportedly pro-Megawati supporters stormed a Soerjadi faction PDI
rally in Surabaya, East Java. Several injuries were reported.
On Thursday, police struggled to prevent over a hundred
people, chanting and wearing clothing with pro-Megawati slogans,
from entering a PDI rally in North Jakarta.
Megawati is the eldest daughter of Indonesia's first president
Sukarno. She was sidelined as PDI's chair in a government-backed
rebel congress last year. The government promptly recognized the
new leadership under Soerjadi despite Megawati's persistent claim
that she is the rightful party chair.
During the 1992 election the PDI made great strides in
acquiring more seats in the House of Representatives.
Before the internal party strife, many foresaw that the PDI
under Megawati would offer formidable competition to the ruling
Golkar.
Megawati said yesterday she would stick to her commitment not
to participate in any way on behalf of the PDI during the
campaign.
"Increase vigilance and don't be easily provoked by other
people's actions during the campaign. This way we can maintain
national unity and the PDI's image of peace and anti-violence
that I have always stressed," Megawati said.
She said there was "no reason whatsoever" to compromise and
cooperate with the "illegitimate and unconstitutional" PDI led by
Soerjadi.
Reviewing the just concluded first and second rounds of the
campaign period, Megawati said she regretted that acts of
political manipulation and feeble-mindedness were continually
perpetrated by the so-called "PDI Soerjadi".
She said such acts disillusioned and disappointed many PDI
followers. (mds)