PDI-P dismisses members over gubernatorial election

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Oyos Saroso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bandarlampung

In another show of deep cracks within the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), five functionaries in Lampung have been dismissed from their posts for defying directives regarding the recent gubernatorial election.

PDI Perjuangan deputy chairman Roy B.B. Janis announced the decision on Tuesday, saying that the disciplinary move would not deprive the five party officials of their membership in the party.

"We have decided to discharge them from their official positions in the party, but not dismiss them as party members," Roy told a media conference that followed the party's weekly meeting, presided over by chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Lampung is one of the party's influential bases, where the party won 28 of the 75 seats on offer in the 1999 general election.

In a decree signed by Megawati and secretary-general Soetjipto on Dec. 28, 2002, the party stripped Abbas Hadisunyoto, Prabawa, Firmansyah, Ansory Yunus and Alzier Dianis Thabranie of their respective posts as a member of the party's faction in the provincial legislature, faction secretary, chairman of the faction, chairman of the party's provincial chapter and chairman of the party's South Lampung branch.

Based on the proposed law on composition and structure of the People's Consultative Assembly, Regional Representative Assembly, House of Representatives and regional legislatures, a party has the authority to remove its representatives from those institutions.

This is the second time that the party has handed out heavy punishment to disloyal members since the dismissal of Tarmidi Soehardjo as the chairman of the party's Jakarta chapter for challenging Megawati's choice of incumbent Sutiyoso as the candidate for the gubernatorial post in the capital last September.

Megawati, who is also the President, had ordered that all Lampung provincial legislative councillors representing the party support the election of then incumbent Oemarsono and Samsuari Ryacudu, a brother of Army Chief of Staff Ryamizard Ryacudu, as governor and deputy governor, respectively.

Like Sutiyoso, Oemarsono also has a military background.

Abbas, who is the Lampung legislature speaker, and his company nominated Alzier and Ansory for the gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial posts, ignoring Megawati's stern warning. The last minute candidates won the election, beating the pre-race favorites and PDI Perjuangan's official nominees, Oemarsono and Samsuari 39-33, in the run-off on Dec. 30.

The unexpected victory angered Megawati during the party's meeting on Tuesday, a source told The Jakarta Post.

"She lashed out at the Lampung councillors who had rejected her candidates, but could not provide better choices," the source said.

Also speaking at the media conference, Soetjipto said the party would ask the government to annul the results of the gubernatorial election in Lampung.

"The elected governor does not represent the party's faction," Soetjipto said.

The gubernatorial election has sparked a controversy as provincial legislature speaker Abbas failed to read out a telegram from Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, who requested a delay of the process, pending clarification from the legislature that Alzair was fit and proper to run for the governorship.

Alzair, a businessman who chairs the provincial chamber of commerce, has reportedly been involved in embezzling hundreds of tons of fertilizer, which cost state fertilizer producer PT Pupuk Sriwijaya Rp 10 billion. Admitting that he was in debt with the company, Alzair said the case was not a crime as the police had not investigated it.

Following a rally last week to protest Alzair's eligibility and alleged involvement in money politics in the gubernatorial election, deputy provincial police Sr. Comr. Yusuf Supriadi promised to investigate the allegations as soon as possible.

The public has three days to verify the elected governor's track record.

Alzair failed to win the race for the post of Lampung regent in 2000 after a newspaper reported his alleged involvement in car smuggling.