Megawati told to be patient and tactical

Megawati told to be patient and tactical

JAKARTA (JP): Political observers said yesterday Megawati
Soekarnoputri, having no chance of retaining her Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) top slot, should make peace with her
ouster Soerjadi.

They argued that Megawati and Soerjadi should call a truce,
for at least a year, and work together to improve PDI's likely
showing in this year's general election.

The latest advice for the arch rivals came from political
scholars Arbi Sanit and Yahya Muhaimin and former home affairs
minister Rudini.

They agreed the key to possible reconciliation rested with
Megawati, who was toppled by Soerjadi in a government-sanctioned
rebel congress in Medan last year.

"It will be very difficult for Megawati to regain the party
leadership given the present political situation as she is no
longer recognized by the government," Arbi of the University of
Indonesia's School of Political Science told Vhe Jakarta Post.

He suggested that Megawati, the eldest daughter of first
president Sukarno, remained patient and tactical in her efforts
to regain the PDI top post.

"Megawati should not waste her charisma and popularity. She
should compromise with Soerjadi and try to snatch the party
leadership when the time is ripe," he said.

Megawati, who was elected by popular vote at the party's
extraordinary congress in Surabaya, in 1993, has repeatedly
claimed she is still the party's legitimate leader on the grounds
that the Medan congress failed to represent the actual
aspirations of the majority of PDI members.

The leadership conflict has been widely seen as seriously
threatening the minority party's performance in the May election
as Soerjadi has become unpopular.

Arbi predicted there would be some changes in the political
climate, especially after the 1998 presidential election.

"It is possible the government and the military will have a
different political format after 1998," he said.

The PDI is scheduled to elect its new leader after the 1998
presidential election, when Soerjadi's term of office comes to an
end.

In order to slowly regain support from the government and the
Armed Forces, Arbi suggested Megawati refrain from conducting
activities which could "anger" the government.

At present, Megawati's ardent refusal to reconcile with
Soerjadi is seen by the government and her critics as the source
of all conflict within the party.

Thousands of Megawati's supporters in Jakarta and several
provinces have demonstrated their loyalty to her and their
disgust of Soerjadi's leadership.

Soerjadi has canceled a number of trips in Java for security
reasons.

Arbi suggested Megawati supporters stop testing the
authorities' patience with their demonstrations of support for
her.

"I don't mean to say her supporters must stop demonstrating
their rejection of Soerjadi. They should remember that their
radical actions may ruin Megawati's good name in the eyes of the
government," he said.

He also suggested Megawati should not call on her loyalists to
boycott the general election to demonstrate their frustration.

"Otherwise the government will treat Megawati as its enemy,"
he said.

The PDI was established on Jan. 10, 1973. It is a merger of
five former Nationalist and tiny Christian political parties --
the Indonesian Nationalist Party, the Murba Party, the
Independence Vanguard Party, the Indonesian Catholic Party and
the Christian Party.

The merger has turned out to be fragile. Since its formation,
the PDI has been riddled with bickering over leadership.

Meanwhile, Rudini said it would be difficult for Megawati to
regain her chairmanship now as the government has lent its
support to Soerjadi.

"Megawati should talk over the problem with Soerjadi as it is
the only way to settle the party's internal dispute," Rudini said
on a separate occasion.

Speaking after a seminar held by the Association of Indonesian
Moslem Students, he said the internal dispute could be settled
through reconciliation.

Yahya Muhaimin told the Post yesterday it would be impossible
for Megawati to regain legitimate party leadership without
government recognition.

He suggested Megawati dialog with Soerjadi to strengthen the
PDI's position for next year's general election.

"Megawati should understand politics requires willingness to
accommodate the aspirations of all elements in a society," he
said. (imn)