PDI accuses East Java govt of meddling

PDI accuses East Java govt of meddling

JAKARTA (JP): The minority Indonesian Democratic Party plans
to file a formal complaint with the Minister of Home Affairs to
protest the East Java governor's meddling in its internal
affairs.

Officials of the nationalist-Christian alliance condemned the
East Java government yesterday for forbidding party chief
Megawati Soekarnoputri from meeting her party members in the
province.

Leaders from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) met here
yesterday to discuss recent bans on Megawati from holding
"constitutional gatherings" in East Java. They subsequently
decided to lodge a formal protest with Minister of Home Affairs
Yogie S. Memet.

In a letter soon to be forwarded to Yogie, the party leaders
also called on the provincial administration to "stop arbitrary
actions...and meddling in the party's internal affairs".

Secretary-General Alexander Litaay said the meeting also
protested the East Java authorities who barred Megawati, yet
allowed her arch rival, Latief Pudjosakti, to hold a meeting
attended by some 2,000.

Megawati was prevented from taking part in a commemoration of
Kartini Day -- Indonesia's version of Women's Day -- in Kediri,
recently. They would not be able to manage security, the
authorities said, as the gathering would be attended by a great
number of party activists.

The incident was the latest in a series of obstacles that the
party and its leaders have encountered from the provincial
authorities. Governor Basofi Sudirman has time and again asserted
that he did not take sides in the dissension plaguing PDI's
provincial chapter.

PDI's East Java chapter, for instance, was once prevented from
holding a meeting to inaugurate Sutjipto as its new chairman. The
authorities declared Sutjipto's election to be "unconstitutional"
and PDI's provincial leadership to still be in the hands of
Latief Pudjosakti.

Shortly after the incident in Kediri, the authorities allowed
Megawati's rivals to hold a meeting of 2,000 people, at which
they appointed rival chapter leadership.

The meeting was also attended by Sidoarjo Regent Edi Sanyoto,
who reports to Basofi. Some activists reportedly unfurled banners
and posters insulting Megawati and her leadership.

Litaay accused the authorities of "directly and indirectly
allowing activities which discredit PDI and prevent the party's
constitutional attempts to consolidate".

"We all know that one constitutional meeting was denied a
permit," Litaay said, "while another meeting whose organizer is
illegal was dubious was allowed, and even attended by government
officials."

The strongly-worded protest of Yogie also contains the party's
demand that the provincial administration stop actions that could
worsen the political situation, which, in turn, could disrupt
national stability and development.

The party is calling on Yogie to heed their protest and take
appropriate measures against the officials responsible for
allowing the rival leadership meeting to take place.

A similar protest was made by former chairman Soerjadi, who
called on the government not to intervene too much in the party's
internal affairs.

Copies of the letter are also to be sent to, among others,
Minister of Security and Defense Gen. Edi Sudrajat and
Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs Soesilo
Soedarman.

Litaay said the party has twice sent letters of protest,
though not as strongly-worded, to the National Police Chief.

The PDI central executive board yesterday also ordered its
House of Representatives members to bring the matters up in their
hearings with the government.

Litaay promised that PDI still has something up its sleeve if
the government ignores their protest. "We'll do something, but
it's still a secret. We'll wait first," he said.

Also at the meeting, Megawati reminded PDI faction members to
consistently side with the people, and to show this commitment in
their actions.

She also called on them to monitor the growing dissension
spreading through various regions. (swe/har)