PDI complains of official pressure

PDI complains of official pressure

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Executive Board of the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) said party members in the provinces are
under pressure from local government officials to attend an
extraordinary congress organized by opponents of chairperson
Megawati Soekarnoputri.

PDI's Secretary-General Alexander Litaay told reporters on
Saturday that he raised the issue during a meeting with Suyoto
N.K., the director general of sociopolitical affairs at the
Ministry of Home Affairs last Thursday, Antara reported.

He said that officials of the ministry's offices in the
regions have been putting pressure on PDI chapter and branch
leaders to support the congress planned for next month.

The congress is being organized by opponents of Megawati with
the intention of electing a new party leader to replace her.

Among PDI figures involved in the upcoming congress are
Harsoko Sudiro, Yusuf Merukh and Edwin Henawan Sukowati. So far,
they have not decided on the venue or the date. Some said May is
likely, and that it will probably be held in Jakarta.

Litaay said the regional administrators' behavior was not
consistent with the ministry's policy which recognizes Megawati
as the legally elected leader of the party.

He said he had asked Suyoto to stop these officials from
intimidating PDI executives. Suyoto promised to look into the
complaint, he added.

Litaay said he also discussed possible intervention by the
central government in the current conflict in PDI's East Java
chapter. (emb)