Megawati's actions constitutional: ABRI

Megawati's actions constitutional: ABRI

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) said ousted Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) chief Megawati Soekarnoputri has not
committed any unconstitutional acts in her battle to regain her
position.

The statement was given yesterday by ABRI Chief of
Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, who said there was
no evidence that Megawati has broken any laws.

Megawati lost her chair position in June last year during a
government-backed breakaway congress in Medan, North Sumatra.
Following the event that saw the reinstatement of chairman
Soerjadi in her place, the government insisted that there was no
such thing as "Megawati's PDI".

"Megawati has always been constitutional in her actions,"
Syarwan told reporters yesterday. "She always rejects illegal and
unconstitutional ways of settling problems."

He said the government and the Armed Forces have not observed
Megawati or her supporters planning and organizing any illegal
activities.

Syarwan was commenting on Megawati's recent statement that she
was unwilling to open dialog with Soerjadi's faction in a bid to
settle the party's internal rift.

"I don't want to comment on the proposed dialog. I think we
(people) should concentrate on making the general meeting of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) a success in March," he
said. MPR is scheduled to draft broad guidelines of state
policies and elect a president and vice president.

Syarwan said he doubted a party congress could settle PDI's
problems.

"Can they (PDI) guarantee that the congress will settle the
problems, even though the two factions can't even agree on a date
for the congress?" he said.

Soerjadi's faction announced plans to hold the congress in
June, while Megawati wanted it in December 1998.

Syarwan also said there is no urgency for PDI to move the
party congress ahead of the scheduled date of June or December
1998.

"If they (Soerjadi's faction) really want to have a dialog
(congress), it should be held after the general assembly," he
said.

Megawati's faction rejected the planned dialog for possible
reconciliation on Saturday, saying that the initiative should
instead come from the government.

Frustrated with the continuing rift, PDI secretary-general
Buttu R. Hutapea of Soerjadi's camp offered a reconciliation
dialog to Megawati in order to reach some sort of compromise
before next year's congress.

The government, however, has so far refused to take initiative
in healing the fracture of the party, saying that it is chairman
Soerjadi who should do more to settle the problems.

Asked whether he would be willing to mediate in the dispute,
Syarwan said he would first have to consult with the Armed
Forces.

"However, I haven't received any request from the two rival
factions to help settle their problems," he said.

In a related development yesterday, lawyers representing
Soerjadi's faction lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court over
the Jakarta High Court's recent ruling in favor of Megawati's
lawsuit.

Lawyer Parlin Sitorus said he hoped the Supreme Court would
instead uphold an earlier ruling by the Central Jakarta District
Court which rejected to hear the lawsuit.

Earlier this month, the Jakarta High Court overturned the
lower district court's ruling that it did not have the authority
to try Megawati's lawsuit against Soerjadi and his supporters.
The high court ordered the district court to reopen the case.
(imn/05)