PDI activists seek recognition of Latief
PDI activists seek recognition of Latief
SURABAYA (JP): Several thousand Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) activists loyal to Latief Pudjosakti staged a noisy protest on Monday, demanding that the government recognize him as the legitimate chief of the East Java party chapter.
Led by Latief, they marched to the gubernatorial office and the Brawijaya military command headquarters, which oversees security in the province.
They were met by the chief of the provincial government's socio-political department Soerjadi Setiawan and deputy governor for social welfare Abdul Hamid Mahmud.
Soerjadi and Hamid promised to convey the protesters' message to Governor Basofi Sudirman, who was out of town.
The protesters' spokesman Endung Sutrisno claimed that 2,500 people representing 30 of the 36 PDI regency branches throughout East Java took part in the demonstration.
The maneuver was the latest development in the leadership conflict pitting Latief, who was elected by five branch leaders, and Sutjipto, who was appointed by the chair of the PDI's executive board Megawati Soekarnoputri in 1994.
The government is understood to sympathize with Latief but so far has refused to recognize either him or Sutjipto until the minority party solves the leadership rift itself.
Yesterday's demonstration followed Latief's party conference two weeks ago at which the activists were steadfast in pressing the government for recognition.
"Without official recognition, we won't be able to take part in next year's general election properly," Endung said.
Sutjipto alleged that the local government may have helped arrange the demonstration. The protest, he said, was close to "anarchy". He praised the governor and the military chief for not meeting the protesters.
He vowed to shun street demonstrations in a bid to obtain official recognition.
Sutjipto canceled a post-Idul Fitri gathering on Sunday fearing that the meeting would provoke his political foes into forcibly dispersing it.
On Feb. 3, hundreds of Latief's supporters foiled a seminar that Sutjipto sponsored on the grounds that Sutjipto had illegally claimed to be the leader of the PDI chapter. (15/pan)