Military ready to help PDI

Military ready to help PDI

YOGYAKARTA: A senior military officer said the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) were ready to assist the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in solving its internal problems, especially in East Java, if asked to do so.

"But the principle is that we will never intervene in the party's internal affairs," said May. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, assistant to the chief of ABRI's socio-political affairs department.

He said the government wanted the PDI to solve its problem without outside interference. "The PDI should be independent," he said.

Syarwan expressed the hope that the minority party would able to solve its notorious leadership rift in East Java before the 1997 general election. (anr)