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)