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)