Megawati supporters reject election

JAKARTA (JP): About 200 Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) activists loyal to Megawati Soekarnoputri protested yesterday at the House of Representatives.

Led by the PDI Tangerang branch, the demonstrators said they rejected the May 29 general election because Megawati had been barred from running.

Calling themselves the Committee Struggling for Democracy, they said the election had been marred by fraud. The demonstrators were led by Ribka Tjiptaning, FX Mulyono and Malawati.

"Because Mega (Megawati) was sidelined, reject the election," read one of the protesters' banners. "Mega was ousted, people cheated, fight for democracy," read another.

Clad in mainly red and black attire, they held a free forum in the House's foyer in which they took turns to speak about the election.

Megawati lost the party's chair to Soerjadi last year in a government-sanctioned congress in Medan, North Sumatra.

After the government stopped Megawati standing for election, she declared her intention not to vote although she did not openly encourage her supports to boycott the poll.

PDI suffered a humiliating defeat. Its seats in the House dropped from 56 to 11, forcing the House to seek ways to change its internal rules so that the party can field a representative in each of its commissions.

The protesters repeatedly said that Soerjadi's leadership of the party was unconstitutional.

The protesters met PDI legislators Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, Tarto Sudiro and Sukowaluyo -- all Megawati supporters.

The legislators promised to discuss the demonstrators' demands and refer them to the House leadership. (39)