PDI-P supporters 'understand' speaker vote

PDI-P supporters 'understand' speaker vote

JAKARTA (JP): A city councilor from the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) said on Saturday that party
supporters understood the party's decision to back the Indonesian
Military (TNI)/Police faction candidate for the City Council
speaker position and had agreed not to protest the move.

"We have told our supporters that the move was part of the
party's strategy for the upcoming General Session of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR)," councilor Pantas Nainggolan said on
Saturday.

"It seems that they understand. There will be no rallies on
Monday."

He said party leaders had informed supporters that it was
party strategy to give 20 votes to TNI in order to obtain support
for the presidential candidacy of party chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

In last week's election of council speaker, Maj. Gen. Edy
Waluyo, whose military faction hold nine seats on the council,
secured 40 votes, while Tarmidi Suhardjo of PDI Perjuangan only
obtained nine votes, despite the fact that his party holds a 30-
seat majority.

Djafar Badjeber of the United Development Party (PPP) and M.
Suwardi of the National Mandate Party (PAN) obtained 30 votes and
zero votes respectively in the election. PPP and PAN have 13
seats each on the council.

Edy, Djafar, Tarmidi and Suwardi will be sworn in to their new
positions by the head of the Jakarta High Court I Gede Sudarta in
a ceremony to be held on Monday at the City Council.

Pantas, however, did not dismiss the possibility that city
councilors might stage a protest over Suwardi's failure to secure
the minimum one seat in the council speaker election.

"It's their right (to protest). I could not prohibit them.

"The election was valid. But, was it ethical to see Suwardi
not get one vote in the election?" he said.

Apology

He said leaders of the council's 11 factions met on Friday and
agreed to accept Suwardi as one of the three deputy council
speakers after the PAN faction apologized for the election
result.

The secretary of the City Council PAN faction secretary, M.
Syamsuardi Botan, however denied that his faction had apologized
to other factions.

"The result was valid... the election was to elect the
council speaker, not deputies to the speaker," Syamsuardi said on
Saturday.

He said his faction decided to assign their 13 votes to Djafar
Badjeber, who was nominated by the "axis force".

The axis force in the council comprises PPP, PAN, the Justice
Party (PK), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Crescent
and Star Party (PBB).

Dozens of PDI-Perjuangan supporters expressed anger toward
their councilors after hearing of the small number of votes
gained by Tarmidi.

Hundreds of the party's supporters staged a rally last
Wednesday outside the City Council demanding the party fire the
councilors.

Some of the supporters had said they would stage a
demonstration to protest the installation on Monday of Edy and
his deputies. (jun)