PDI-P says Sophan exit no big loss

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Prominent Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) legislator Sophan Sophiaan has quit from both the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly, but party officials played down the move.

PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo said on Saturday that Sophan's withdrawal from the legislative bodies was expected, as the noted film star had already tendered his resignation five months before.

"There will be no efforts to stop him -- the letter of resignation was sent to the party factions at the House and Assembly," Pramono told The Jakarta Post.

Party leaders are expected to name Sophan's replacement when they meet on Tuesday.

Pramono said that Sophan's farewell bid last year failed to materialize, following a rejection from party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Sophan's resignation came against the backdrop of a visible split in PDI Perjuangan over whether to support a House special committee to investigate the misuse of Rp 40 billion of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) fund in 1999 involving then-state minister/secretary Akbar Tandjung, the current House Speaker.

Sophan, who formally announced his resignation on Friday, refused to link his move to the dispute within his party.

"If I comment on that, I will spark polemics; I don't want to incite people's anger." he said.

Accompanied by his wife, actress Widyawati, Sophan began clearing his belongings out of his legislative office on Saturday.

Sophan had recently expressed frustration and concern over the deteriorating political conditions resulting from friction and what he called a lack of ethics among lawmakers.

"This is my personal decision, and it has nothing to do with political maneuvering -- I've been thinking about this a lot, and had long discussions with my family and friends," about resigning he told reporters.

"I feel that I can no longer function in these conditions, as everything has become so skewed. The truth has been blurred, while foibles and filth are taken as truth ... What is actually right is now wrong -- you know what I'm talking about," Sophan said.

Meanwhile, another senior member of the party, Agustin Teras Narang, acknowledged that he was "shocked and moved" upon hearing of Sophan's resignation.

However, he was optimistic that Sophan's departure would not adversely affect the party.

"He remains a member of the party, and he merely quit from the House and Assembly. As a public figure, he can still contribute to the party," Agustin, who chairs the House Commission I overseeing legal affairs, told the Post.

When asked who would take Sophan's seat, Agustin declined to comment, saying only that "we will leave it to the party's mechanisms."

Political observer J. Kristiadi shared Agustin's view, saying that Sophan had been alienated within the party.

"Sophan's resignation may not bring about any impact within the party," said Kristiadi, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

But Kristiadi gave two thumbs up to Sophan for being "a small ray of light in a big, dark space."

"In mainstream public opinion, politics is viewed as very dirty, but Sophan has proven himself a symbol of conscience," said Kristiadi, after addressing a seminar on governance here.