PDI-P major posts race heating up

PDI-P major posts race heating up

SEMARANG (JP): The race for key posts in the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) heated up here on
Wednesday as senior official Bondan Gunawan announced his
candidacy.

Claiming to be a follower of founding president Sukarno's
teachings, Bondan, the acting state secretary and a close aide of
President Abdurrahman Wahid, told an evening conference that he
was prepared for any position in the party's central executive
board.

"I'm ready to do anything for PDI Perjuangan if the congress
needs me and the party is still adhering to Sukarno's teachings,"
he said.

Bondan refused to reveal a specific position that he might be
considering, but many have said that with the reelection of
incumbent chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri almost certain, he
could run for the secretary-general post. Deputy chairman Roy
Janis is thought to be another strong contender for the job.

A number of banners in support of Megawati and Bondan were
seen hanging across the city.

Bondan denied, however, that Abdurrahman was behind his
campaign.

"It's not the way Gus Dur behaves," he said.

He admitted that Abdurrahman had met with Roeslan Abdulgani,
one of PDI Perjuangan's senior activists, to discuss ways of
improving the political parties in the country.

Bondan stated that during the meeting Abdurrahman recommended
the party recruit Bondan to help strengthen it.

To convince the press that he deserved the candidacy, Bondan
showed his party membership card issued by the party's Central
Jakarta branch in 1998 when it was called Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI).

"I cannot understand why certain PDI Perjuangan elites do not
recognize my membership," he mused.

Eros Djarot, who is running for the top post in place of
Megawati, has fallen victim to organizational procedures. The
party's South Jakarta branch has refused to recognize the Detak
weekly chief editor as its representative to the congress.

So far only Eros and the party's deputy chairman Dimyati
Hartono have announced their bid for the top post. Both confirmed
their candidacy on Wednesday.

Dimyati said that despite the huge support for Megawati, he
would go ahead with his candidacy because he saw something wrong
in the party.

"I will not give up, and I hope Eros won't either, in offering
alternatives other than Megawati to the congress participants,"
he said.

He decided to go ahead with his candidacy because a number of
branches had pledged their support for him. He said he was sure
Megawati would be reelected but his participation in the election
is expected to give the process a democratic bounce.

Eros said that despite his small chances of winning he
wouldn't quit.

He stated that he was concerned about the negative climate in
the congress, since participants were not given an opportunity to
know that party figures have been nominating themselves for
certain positions.

Another incident marred the congress as hundreds of
journalists staged a sit-in protest in front of the Patra Jasa
hotel, the venue of the congress.

The demonstrators, including photographers and TV cameramen,
laid down their equipment and slammed congress organizers for
deploying security guards to prevent them from covering a
particular session.

"Boycott the congress," dozens shouted. "PDI Perjuangan is not
a democratic party," others said.

A party executive, Sophan Sophian, regretted the organizers
decision, saying it was undemocratic.

"If I was presiding over the congress I would give journalists
as much access as possible. It is by no means to our advantage to
keep them from properly covering such events," he said.
(rms/har/swa)