Megawati supports Semarang branch PDI activists
Megawati supports Semarang branch PDI activists
SEMARANG (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri continued her legal
battle against her political rivals with an appearance yesterday
in a local court where her supporters were running a lawsuit
against her opponents.
The ousted chief of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
showed up with party activists who are suing other PDI members
for attending a rebel congress in June in Medan, North Sumatra.
Yesterday's trial was a small gust in the legal storm Megawati
and her lawyers promised to raise following the congress.
Three Megawati loyalists told the court the government-backed
congress was unlawful and violated party statutes. They said the
activists who went to the congress had inappropriately claimed to
represent the majority of the PDI Semarang branch.
Makmi Ma'ruf, a PDI activist loyal to Megawati, told judges of
the Semarang District Court that Danang Suwito and Yusak,
respectively chairman and secretary of the PDI branch,
participated illegally in the congress.
The majority of branch activists had previously agreed not to
send delegates to the Medan congress, said another Megawati
loyalist, Ngarang Sembiring.
The PDI congress, held in the North Sumatra capital of Medan
between June 20-22, was organized by 16 rebel party executives.
The congress elected Soerjadi as the new PDI chairman, replacing
Megawati who had won by popular vote at the party's extraordinary
congress in 1993.
The third plaintiff, Suhadi Slamet, said Danang and Yusak
broke faith with the branch agreement to boycott the Medan
congress.
Illegal
According to the party's 1994 statutes the Medan congress was
illegal because the next congress was due in 1998, said Suhadi.
Megawati's chief lawyer, R.O. Tambunan, said judges had acted
fairly in the hearing.
"We hope they will also be fair in their final verdict," said
Tambunan who coordinates a massive team of lawyers for Megawati's
nationwide legal battles.
In addition to yesterday's hearing Megawati's team of lawyers
are working on 75 lawsuits filed with district courts. Thirty of
the 75 lawsuits are currently being heard, he said.
Tambunan said defense lawyers would continue to file lawsuits
at district courts in the country's 27 provinces.
Megawati, in court to support local PDI members in their
lawsuit, said that winning the legal battle was not her main
target.
"The most important thing is that the hearings are held
properly and legally," she said.
Megawati indicated yesterday that she would appear in the
Central Jakarta District Court on Monday to testify for the
alleged instigators of the July 27 riots.
"Lawyers for the Defense of Democracy (TPDI) have asked me to
testify at the trials of the 124 PDI supporters accused of
instigating the riots," Megawati said.
Tambunan said Megawati would testify that the violent takeover
of the party's disputed headquarters, which preceded the riot,
was "organized" by the authorities. (imn/har)