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)