PDI internal conflicts reflect political immaturity, Rudini says

PDI internal conflicts reflect political immaturity, Rudini says

SEMARANG (JP): Former home minister Rudini has dismissed the
bickering in the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) as simply part
of an education process underway within the party.

Rudini however said the in-fighting also reflected political
immaturity and a lack of discipline within the country's smallest
political organization.

The party members and leaders have only got as far as
realizing their rights, but not their political obligations, the
retired general said in an interview on Thursday.

"What they probably need is guidance," he said.

Rudini said the party needs to instill discipline, a critical
element in a democracy and vital to any organization or country.

"If there is chaos in an organization, how do you expect them
to run a nation? If you're not content with the current
government, do you then establish a rival government?."

PDI was rocked once again this month when a group of its
senior leaders announced the formation of a new executive board
to challenge the legality of Megawati Soekarnoputri's leadership.
At one time the rival board, headed by Jusuf Merukh, appeared to
have recruited Alex Litaay, Megawati's secretary general, into
its fold but Alex later denied that he had crossed over to the
other side.

Rudini said PDI should strive to resolve its own problems
without resorting to outside parties. The problem is inherent
within the party, said the chairman of the Indonesian Institute
for Strategic Research, a private think tank group.

"There is no reason to go around blaming other people. In any
part of the world, an external power always exists and there is
no use fussing about it," he said. "The question now is how can
PDI confront the problem. It is too naive to simply put the blame
on the government," he said.

The party's conflicts, he said, are a test case for PDI's
leaders and will determine whether they are capable of keeping
the party intact. "The problem is that PDI has not succeeded in
determining its own identity."

The bickering is also weakening the PDI as other parties start
looking to the 1997 general elections.

Rudini was more sympathetic towards Megawati and said that she
had never been given a chance to lead properly since being
elected in 1993. (har/pwn)