PDI officials upset by congress' cancellation

PDI officials upset by congress' cancellation

JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the Indonesian Democratic Party were
furious yesterday at the East Java government's policy to cancel
the party's local congress, scheduled for Monday, for security
reasons.

Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, an Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
vice chairman and Fatimah Achmad, chief of the party's faction in
the House of Representatives, lodged their complaint in person
with East Java governor Basofi Sudirman.

The row erupted after Basofi rejected PDI's request that all
functionaries of regency PDI chapters throughout East Java be
invited to a gathering that would focus on the prolonged
leadership crises in East Java.

In East Java the conflict-ridden minority party has 27
regency-level branches, with each having about 15 functionaries.

Basofi, a retired major general, argued that the local
government would not be able to guarantee security if all
functionaries, of each party branch, attended the gathering.

He insisted that each branch should send, at the most, only
three of their functionaries so that security could be properly
handled.

Soetardjo said he could not understand the governor's
reasoning, saying that even the ministry of home affairs in
Jakarta has given PDI the green light for the gathering.

"We are disappointed with the governor's decision. How can the
(East Java) government prohibit PDI leaders from meeting?" said
Soetardjo, who is also a House member.

The political crisis hit the PDI East Java chapter after the
party's local congress failed to elect a new leader. PDI chief
Megawati Soekarnoputri refused re-election of Latief Pudjosakti,
who enjoys government favor, and instead appointed Sutjipto.

Basofi refuses to recognize Sutjipto and Latief. (29)