Overthrown PDI board establishes campaign team

Overthrown PDI board establishes campaign team

JAKARTA (JP): The overthrown board of the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) defied a government ban on Saturday when
it established an election campaign committee for the 1997
general elections.

Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, a loyalist of ousted PDI chief
Megawati Soekarnoputri, said the committee would be responsible
for the party's election campaign. It would also attempt to
supervise various election stages, organized by the official
General Elections Institute, by ballot counting and preparing
people to monitor voting at poll sites.

"We are now preparing themes and materials to be put forward
in our campaign," Soetardjo said.

Some 100 people are included on the committee, including
Megawati, secretary-general Alexander Litaay and Megawati's
brother Guruh Soekarnoputra.

Despite the government's refusal to recognize it, Megawati's
board continues to prepare as a regular poll contestant.

The other political groups contesting the general election are
the dominant Golkar and the Moslem-oriented United Development
Party (PPP). The government has picked the board of Soerjadi,
elected in a rebel congress last month, to represent the PDI in
the coming election.

The campaigning session will start on April 9, 1997, and end
on May 23, 1997. The date of the election will be determined by a
presidential decree, but is expected to be at the end of May
1997.

The minority party has been plagued with leadership conflicts
for the past three years, during which time the government
clearly stated its support for Megawati. The rift came to a head
earlier this year when 16 of the 27 members on Megawati's
executive board dissented and organized a rebel congress last
month.

Government officials not only gave financial assistance to the
congress in Medan, North Sumatra, but endorsed Soerjadi as "the
lawful chief" of the party. The government also barred Megawati
from representing the party at next year's election, a move which
has drawn public criticism and triggered waves of protest across
the country.

Megawati was elected chairwoman of the party by popular vote
in December 1993, and her leadership still retains strong
grassroots support. Her call on the government to retract its
recognition of the Medan congress and that it stop meddling in
the party's affairs has been echoed by a number of observers.

On Saturday, Soetardjo insisted that Megawati was still the
legitimate PDI chief and that her camp would go on with its plan
to participate in the general elections despite government
opposition.

"We'll continue with our plan to help President Soeharto, the
coordinator for the 1997 general elections, make the general
elections a success," he said.

Party executives under Megawati's leadership are still
registered as members of the central committee for general
elections.

The bickering has yet to be settled, as Soerjadi has not been
received by President Soeharto, a political tradition in
Indonesia that signifies final government approval.

Meanwhile, Soerjadi's secretary-general Buttu Hutapea told The
Jakarta Post that his camp had also established a similar
campaign committee.

"We established a 100-person campaign committee on July 8,"
Hutapea said. (imn)