PDI-P 'to indoctrinate' cadres for loyalty
PDI-P 'to indoctrinate' cadres for loyalty
JAKARTA (JP): In observance of its 28th anniversary which
falls on Wednesday, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) will "indoctrinate" its cadres in the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), House of Representatives and
provincial and regency councils to improve loyalty to the party.
Pramono Anung Wibowo, PDI Perjuangan's deputy secretary-
general, said more than 4,000 party cadres representing the party
in various state institutions have been invited to attend a
meeting with Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri in Jakarta on
Saturday.
"The meeting needed to cement the personal relationships among
party cadres and to improve their loyalty to the party," he said
in a press conference here on Monday.
PDI Perjuangan Deputy Chairman Mangara Siahaan said the
indoctrination of party cadres was needed to anticipate the
coming election of new governors, regents and mayors in the next
three years.
"PDI Perjuangan must fight for more than 250 gubernatorial,
regency and mayoral elections in the next three years and the
party has interests in these strategic positions in facing the
2004 general election," he said.
He said the party's executive board was very disappointed with
what he claimed was the prevalent use of money and violence in
many cases that involved party cadres over the last year.
"In numerous regency and mayoral elections, PDI Perjuangan's
candidates for regent and mayor were defeated despite the party
being the dominant faction in regency and mayoralty councils.
Frankly, party legislators were bought in these elections," he
said.
He said the party would accept its candidates' defeat in the
elections if its legislators were solid in casting their votes
and they are not involved in money politics and violence.
"The use of money politics and violence in such elections has
tarnished the party's image and this will certainly affect its
performance in the next elections," he said.
The party has set an electoral target of more than 50 percent
of the total votes in the next elections in 2004 in a bid to
secure the presidential seat.
Pramono, also secretary of the organizing committee of the
party's anniversary celebration, said the party would also impose
sanctions against cadres who were found guilty of violating the
party's discipline and rulings.
"The party will give four kinds of sanctions -- dismissal,
discharge, last and first warnings -- against its cadres
violating disciplines and party policy," he said.
Pramono declined to reveal the number of cadres who had
violated party rules and the types of violations, saying Megawati
herself was expected to announce them in the immediate future.
"The PDI Perjuangan chairperson is expected to announce the
list of cadres violating the party's discipline and policy on
Jan. 13 or Jan. 14," he said.
The party's executive board set up early in Dec., 2000, an
internal honorary council to investigate violations by its
cadres.
Pramono said that the party would stage a halal bihalal
gathering and hold a Javanese wayang show at the Gelanggang
Remaja Building in East Jakarta on Wednesday to mark the party's
28th anniversary.
"On Jan. 12, the party's council board will hold a day-long
meeting to evaluate the party's policy and to design action plans
for the next three years," he said.
He said that the anniversary celebration would reach its peak
in the Senayan Stadium on Sunday where thousands of party cadres
and supporters have been invited to listen to Megawati's speech.
(rms)