Military supports ban on Megawati in E. Java

Military supports ban on Megawati in E. Java

JAKARTA (JP): The military in East Java supported the
provincial administration's decision to bar Megawati
Soekarnoputri, the chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party,
from visiting the province last week, saying that her presence
could further sow unrest among the party's supporters.

But Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo, the chief of the Brawijaya Military
Command, said there is no ban against Megawati to meet with her
supporters in East Java as long as her presence does not disrupt
stability in the area.

"As long as her intentions are good, she can come here. If her
visit does not create trouble, I don't see any problem," Imam was
quoted by the Antara news agency as saying on Saturday.

Megawati was forced to cancel her plan to install the chairman
of the party's East Java chapter last week because the local
provincial government refused to issue a permit for the
gathering. Megawati was also prevented from addressing her
supporters at a gathering in the East Java town of Kediri last
month.

Latest reports suggest that she is planning to visit the
province this week.

The party has been split in East Java, with one camp
supporting her and the other, led by Latief Pudjosakti, rejecting
her leadership.

At a regional congress to elect the party's leaders in the
province early this year, Latief won five of the eight votes from
the electoral college. But Megawati exercised her prerogative as
the party's chairperson to annul the result. Instead, she
appointed Sutjipto as the new chairman.

Megawati is facing dissension not only in East Java but also
Jakarta, West Java and, most recently, Yogyakarta.

Maj. Gen. Imam said his main concern is stability and peace in
East Java and feared that Megawati's visit to the province would
intensify the conflict between the two PDI camps.

"I know the conditions in East Java very well. I've got
intelligence officers monitoring the situation. I know for sure
that there is deep hatred between the Sutjipto and Latief camps."

Maj. Gen. Imam said the media have not clearly explained the
source of the conflict in the East Java chapter of PDI.

He said when the election was put to a vote, Sutjipto won most
of the votes, but the total votes counted exceeded the number of
voters. He suspected that the additional votes were smuggled in
when the electricity failed during counting.

But later, when the election was entrusted to an electoral
college of eight people, Latief took five votes with the other
three voting for Soetjipto.

"So which one is valid? PDI should know which election was
constitutional and which one was not, because they know the
party's statutes," the major general said.

The East Java provincial administration last week said it
could not approve Megawati's plan to install Sutjipto because
there were questions about the constitutionality of his election.

East Java Governor Basofi Soedirman convened a meeting with
media leaders in Surabaya on Friday to clarify his position
amidst accusations that he was meddling in the PDI's internal
affairs, Antara reported.

"They claim we have given our blessing to Latief. What
blessing are they talking about?" he asked.

Basofi suggested that the party's central executive board hold
a meeting with the leaders of the East Java chapter and the
regency branch offices from both camps to resolve the problem.
(emb)