PDI-P ready to select Gus Dur for MPR from capital

PDI-P ready to select Gus Dur for MPR from capital

JAKARTA (JP): The city council faction of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) is likely to
nominate Muslim scholar Abdurrahman Wahid next week as one of its
two representatives for the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Faction councilors Tarmidi Suhardjo and Azis Boeang revealed
the party's preliminary agenda to reporters on Friday, saying
that the nomination of Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, was to
be finalized after a discussion with other party councilors later
in the evening.

However, results were not available at press time.

Councilor Azis said that the nomination of Gus Dur by PDI
Perjuangan was expected to help cover the faction's mistakes made
during the election of the council speaker on Monday.

The idea to opt for Gus Dur, he said, was considered following
the rejection from the General Elections Commission (KPU) for the
nomination of Gus Dur, the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), as
NU's candidate representative in the MPR.

The commission argued that Gus Dur could not be nominated for
the post since he was a sympathizer of the National Awakening
Party (PKB), which also participated in the recent June poll.

But NU executives contended that Gus Dur was merely a founder
of PKB.

"The move is also meant to pay respect to Gus Dur, who has
always supported the nomination of Megawati Soekarnoputri for the
country's next president, although the 'axis force' (Poros
Tengah) keeps on nominating him for the presidency," Azis said.

Tarmidi, who is also the faction chairman, said he personally
had no objection at all with Gus Dur's nomination.

"I will tell the idea to our party's meeting," Tarmidi, who is
also the council deputy speaker, said.

PDI Perjuangan will also nominate Hobes Sinaga, an executive
at the party research and development department, as its city
representative along with Gus Dur.

Based on the poll vote count and composition of the council,
PDI Perjuangan is projected to receive two of the five MPR seats
for Jakarta.

The three remaining seats are expected to be held by the
military faction, the United Development Party (PPP) and the
National Mandate Party (PAN).

The military has reportedly nominated former city governor Lt.
Gen. (ret) Surjadi Soedirdja. PAN has reportedly nominated its
city chapter executive, Daniel Abdullah Sani, and PPP has likely
chosen its West Jakarta chairman, Achmad Suaidy.

Rumor

The five representatives will be chosen in the council's
plenary session scheduled for Wednesday.

Councilor Azis also denied a widespread rumor that he and his
colleagues had received a certain amount of money from a certain
group which was looking for support for the reelection of
candidate Edy Waluyo from the military faction.

But Azis insisted that the rumor over money politics "was
mainly due to the party's strategy mistake".

The councilor refused to give details on the strategy mistake
but denied allegations that the party's councilors had received
Kijang vans from Governor Sutiyoso.

When asked to comment, Sutiyoso insisted that he had not
distributed money to influence any members of the councilors to
pick certain candidates.

"I have no personal interests. All council speaker candidates
are fine with me," he told reporters on Friday.

Sutiyoso also claimed that he did not meet party leaders to
discuss the election of the speaker.

The governor also said he did not meet PDI Perjuangan city
chapter chairman Roy B.B. Janis at Hotel Borobudur in Central
Jakarta prior to the election on Monday.

Councilors, who asked for anonymity, confirmed that they were
invited by the governor to his official residence on Sunday
evening "to discuss the vote".

All refused to give details of the meeting.

In the vote on Monday, Edy secured 40 votes, Djafar Badjeber
from PPP received 30, Tarmidi got nine while M. Suwardi from PAN
got none. Five votes were declared invalid.

Upon seeing the small number of votes for Tarmidi, dozens of
PDI Perjuangan supporters protested and yelled at their
representatives on the council for voting for the military.

Based on the June 7 poll, PDI Perjuangan has 30 seats in the
council while PPP and PAN have 13 seats respectively.

Although the military faction did not join the general
election, they received nine allotted seats in the City Council.
(jun)