No permits for PDI meetings, says Gen. Feisal

No permits for PDI meetings, says Gen. Feisal

JAKARTA (JP): Chief of the Armed Forces Gen. Feisal Tanjung
yesterday reiterated the government's refusal to recognize the
executive board of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) led by
Megawati Soekarnoputri when he said that no permits would be
granted to her supporters wanting to hold local conferences.

"Permits for (branch) conferences will only be granted to the
legitimate leadership of Soerjadi, who was elected during the
party's congress," Feisal said. He was referring to the
government-sponsored rebel congress last week in Medan, North
Sumatra, which was held by Soerjadi's camp despite protests by
Megawati.

Feisal was commenting on the call made by Megawati for all 27
chapters and 306 branches of the party to hold local conferences
in order to consolidate and establish a unified stance against
the Medan congress.

The party currently has two chiefs, Soerjadi and Megawati,
with party members and supporters also divided into two camps.

The government and the Armed Forces (ABRI), however, have
decided to recognize Soerjadi and now consider Megawati the rival
leader.

One of the problems that has emerged since the congress is
over who has the right to occupy the PDI headquarters on Jl.
Diponegoro, Jakarta. Soerjadi has said he would request the help
of the army and police to take over the office which is currently
being occupied and guarded by Megawati's supporters.

ABRI chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid,
however, has stated that the most ABRI would do to help realize
the take over is to "issue appeals for Megawati to act wisely" on
the issue.

Yesterday, Feisal said that the two camps should settle the
question between them. "Let the two camps decide who will occupy
the headquarters. It is their problem now," he said.

Syarwan agreed. "Let Soerjadi settle the problem. It is a
challenge for him," he said on a separate occasion.

Meanwhile, displays of support for Megawati continued
yesterday. A delegation of representatives from the five PDI's
Jakarta branches staged a protest against the congress' result at
the House of Representatives.

They demanded that the government invalidate the congress and
its result, and reaffirm its support for Megawati. The protesters
failed to meet House Speaker Wahono who reportedly left the House
after they arrived.

In Yogyakarta, some 5,000 Megawati supporters marched along
the city streets and made the same demands as their colleagues in
Jakarta.

Suprapto, member of the PDI Yogyakarta branch, said his group
would bring to account local party members who participated in
the congress.

"They told us that they wouldn't go to the congress, but then
they betrayed us," he said.

Reports said that none of the congress participants from
Yogyakarta dared to return to their homes after attending the
congress.

Separately, political observer Riswandha Imawan, of
Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University, said the breakaway's
congress did not benefit the nationalist PDI. Instead, it only
boosted the position of its two competitors: the ruling Golkar
and the Moslem-based United Development Party.

The question of the double leadership in the party will
probably ruin its preparations for the general election next
year, he said. "It's now impossible for PDI to prepare for the
general election," he told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Soerjadi will have very little time to prepare for the
election, as there are still a lot of problems he has to solve,
he said.

Riswandha also said the Medan congress was the worst political
lesson to have ever happened in Indonesia's political history.
"The congress was not the end of the PDI's internal problems. It
is part of a new and more violent crisis which may continue to
breed from the situation," he said.

Susilo Utomo, political observer from Diponegoro University in
Semarang, seconded Riswandha's opinion.

"Conflicts in PDI will grow worse," he said, adding that one
of the most difficult problems that Soerjadi will have to contend
with is the increasing grassroots support for Megawati.
(jun/rms/har/01/02/imn)