Megawati torpedoes demotion

JAKARTA (JP): Rejecting last week's government-backed congress which ousted her, Megawati Soekarnoputri said yesterday she remains the legitimate chief of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Addressing a gathering of 5,000 supporters at the party's headquarters in Jakarta, Megawati called on party branches throughout Indonesia to hold conferences to consolidate her leadership.

"I am the legitimate PDI chief for the 1993-1998 period," she said to the thunderous applause of her supporters who occupied a section of Jl. Diponegoro in front of the headquarters.

Megawati, a daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno, said she had refused the positions offered by her political foes which were an apparent compromise intended to end the party's leadership rift.

Megawati made her public stand only a day after the congress elected Soerjadi to replace her. Soerjadi is a former PDI chief.

Dozens of plainclothes and regular security officers surrounded the party headquarters yesterday. The rally ended peacefully in late afternoon.

The government and the military, which fully supported the rebel congress, said they recognize Soerjadi's election. They have yet to withdraw, however, their recognition of Megawati's leadership.

Megawati was elected by popular vote in a 1993 extraordinary PDI congress. She is highly popular among average Indonesians. She is widely believed to be capable of attracting young pro-democracy voters in next year's general election.

Her admirers have asked her to run for president in 1998.

Soerjadi and her other political foes have accused Megawati of turning the PDI nationalist-Christian alliance into an opposition party, which they say is unconstitutional under Indonesian law.

Megawati said breakaway members lied when claiming the congress reflected the will of the majority of local party leaders.

"They are full of lies. We have asked the government to investigate our allegation but they turn a blind eye," she told party activists from all over Indonesia.

Megawati has filed a lawsuit against the government for endorsing the rebel congress in Medan, North Sumatra, she claims was unconstitutional.

She called on her supporters across the country to maintain their political morality, stay calm, do their jobs, and prepare for next year's general election.

Party activists threatened to pour into the streets of Jakarta again if the government insists on forcibly deposing Megawati.

Dozens of people were injured on June 20, when troops forcibly dispersed thousands of her supporters marching from the party headquarters to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

More rallies are planned. This prompted London-based Amnesty International to express fear yesterday about the government's excessive use of force when handling protests.

Also yesterday, several hundred loyal Megawati activists marched to the local legislative council in Salatiga, Central Java, to express anger at last week's congress.

Megawati's supporters in Jakarta have vowed to safeguard the PDI headquarters and never let Soerjadi occupy it.

In Medan, Soerjadi said he would ask Megawati to give up the headquarters peacefully because he is the new party chief recognized by government.

"I can't imagine a better place for a headquarters, but I will surely not use violence to take it over," he told The Jakarta Post.

Fatimah Achmad, Soerjadi's ally who played a key role in organizing the rebel congress, said she would talk to Megawati on the headquarters takeover.

Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid said the military was ready to help the rebel party leaders if required.

"We will do our best if we are called in," he said, adding that the dispute over the headquarters was an internal PDI problem.

Asked about his plans, Soerjadi said he would soon introduce his programs to all party members.

His secretary-general Buttu Hutapea said the Soerjadi camp would list PDI's House of Representatives candidates.

Rebel congress participants were flown back to Jakarta by the military yesterday in three Hercules transport planes. (16/17/pan)

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