PDI-P special congress unlikely

JAKARTA: First gentlemen Taufik Kiemas played down on Friday the threat of a special congress of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

"Differences in opinion in a common thing in the party; it is not a threat to the party," Taufik, who is also a senior member of PDI Perjuangan, said on Friday.

PDI Perjuangan, led by the country's President Megawati Soekarnoputri, had been repeatedly rocked by disputes among members with the latest demand from several members to hold a special congress to depose Megawati from the chairmanship.

Taufik admitted that the party needed to improve its image and concentrate more on how to lure voters in the coming elections.

"The party's leaders must give more attention to their constituents should they want to win in the coming elections," he remarked.

Indonesia is scheduled to hold its first direct presidential election in 2004. --JP