PDI conflict not engineered by the government: Scholar
PDI conflict not engineered by the government: Scholar
SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): The notorious bickering within the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) results from drastic social change rather than government scheming, a scholar says.
Nurcholish Madjid noted that similar conflicts also hit other major organizations like the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, and the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP).
"The conflict is a social phenomenon resulting from the rapid process of industrialization," Nurcholish said last week.
For example, he said, in the NU many people no longer accept the views of the kyai (Islamic religious teacher) or ulema without reserve as they have done in the past, but question their relevance with the real situation.
"I think people still listen to the kyai but the religious leaders are no longer as commanding as they were in the past due to the changing attitudes in the society," lecturer from the Jakarta State Institute for Islamic Studies Syarif Hidayatullah said.
PDI, NU and PPP are facing chairmanship conflicts. PDI and NU officials, dissatisfied with their leaders, have set up their own rival boards of executives.
Not only that, a prominent PDI party rebel has publicly charged that up to 300 party member across the country have past links with the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party, which was involved in the 1965 coup attempt.
The allegation has been properly exploited by the government, which backs the ruling political party, Golkar. The Armed Forces (ABRI) has taken the allegation seriously and will investigate it.
Nurcholish theorized that bickering within major social and political organizations had nothing to do with the power struggle in the government bureaucracy.
"Therefore speculation that the government has fanned the conflict is not convincing," he said.
The change in national leadership is expected to take place in 1998 when President Soeharto ends his sixth term in office. The upcoming general election is scheduled for 1997.
Nurcholish said conflicts within the major organizations may continue for the next 20 to 30 years.
Loyalty
The conflict within PDI has shown no sign of abating.
On Saturday, PDI's central Kalimantan office pledged its loyalty to the legitimate leadership of Megawati Sukarnoputri, the eldest daughter of Indonesia's first president, Sukarno.
Chief of the Central Kalimantan party office, Metropole B. Djanguk, said the rival executive board under Jusuf Merukh was "unconstitutional" and aimed at destroying PDI from within.
In East Java, the former PDI local chairman and Megawati's arch rival, Latief Pudjosakti was reported to have been arrested by police in a gambling den.
The arrest has been seen as a further disgrace to Latief, following his firing from the party by Megawati recently. (pan)