Megawati urged to meet with E. Java branches

Megawati urged to meet with E. Java branches

JAKARTA (JP): East Java Governor Basofi Soedirman urged
yesterday Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairperson of the
Indonesian Democratic Party, to meet with leaders of the party's
branches in his province to resolve their conflict once and for
all.

Basofi came to Jakarta yesterday to explain to Minister of
Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. his administration's policy
regarding the party's conflict in the province.

The governor has come under fire for his refusal to allow
Megawati to visit Surabaya to install Sutjipto as the chairman of
the East Java chapter. Following the criticisms, Yogie said last
week he would summon Basofi to explain the situation.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Basofi said Megawati
should meet with the leaders of the party's branches in East Java
to resolve their differences.

"I'm encouraging her to hold the meeting anytime, anywhere. I
am sure the party's branches are ready. It is an internal problem
which they must solve themselves," he said.

The East Java chapter of the party has been split into two
camps. One camp, led by Sutjipto, supports Megawati and the other
camp, led by Latief Pudjosakti, rejects her leadership.

Latief was the chairman of the chapter, but a congress to
elect the new leader late last year ended inconclusively. Latief
claimed he had won the election but Megawati refused to accept
the election and appointed Sutjipto instead. However, she has not
been able to install Sutjipto because the East Java provincial
government refused to issue a permit for the gathering. The last
time she tried was on Monday, and she was rejected again.

Because of this incident, the East Java government has been
accused of siding with Latief in the conflict, a claim Basofi
firmly rejected yesterday, stressing that his administration
recognizes neither camp in the conflict.

But Basofi said he would not allow the installation of
Sutjipto by Megawati to take place because he was not elected in
accordance to the party's rules.

The governor explained to reporters the chronology of the
party's East Java congress, which he called the "root of the
problem".

He said Sutjipto won the election first time round but there
appeared to be vote rigging because there were four ballots too
many.

So the election was annulled and the congress agreed that the
chairman should be elected by a committee.

"Five of the eight committee members chose Latief but the
party's central board took over the congress because it
considered the committee meeting to be progressing arduously. The
board then issued a decree and stated Sutjipto as chairman,"
Basofi said.

Basofi said Latief also had the support of 32 of the 37
branches in East Java.

"Both feel that they are elected constitutionally," he said.

Basofi said the government would not take the matter into its
hands because "it will only be seen as a meddling of internal
affairs". (pwn)