PDI-P vows to keep role as critic
PDI-P vows to keep role as critic
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction in
the House of Representatives (DPR) has vowed to maintain its
critical stance towards the government, saying it is ready to
stand alone if other factions refuse to join it.
The PDI-P renewed its commitment after its main partner,
Golkar, elected Vice President Jusuf Kalla as new party chairman
at its party congress last month.
"We will continue to closely supervise government policies. We
must be ready to stand alone if other factions refuse to join
us," PDI-P legislator Heri Akhmadi told The Jakarta Post after a
meeting of his faction on Sunday.
The two-day meeting in Cisarua, West Java, which started on
Saturday, discussed the agenda of the PDI-P faction, as well as
matters relating to internal consolidation of the party.
Opening the meeting, former president and PDI-P leader
Megawati Soekarnoputri told the faction to keep its solidity and
to keep a close eye on the government.
She urged PDI-P legislators to maintain their unity.
PDI-P faction chairman Tjahjo Kumolo, meanwhile, said his
group is prepared to force decisions of the House to the vote,
even though the faction has only 109 of the 550 seats in the
national legislature.
The PDI-P and Golkar, in addition to the Prosperous Peace
Party (PDS) and the Reform Star Party (PBR), once comprised a
political grouping in the House called the Nationhood Coalition,
which was initially designed to support Megawati's reelection
bid.
Following her defeat to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the
presidential election run-off on Sept. 20, the Nationhood
Coalition vowed to play a role as an "opposition force" in the
House by providing a "check and balance" mechanism.
Less than three months after the coalition was formed, Golkar
replaced its leader, Akbar Tandjung, with Vice President Jusuf
Kalla, causing the coalition to become irrelevant.
Shortly after winning the Golkar chairmanship, Kalla said that
Golkar would cease support for the National Coalition. However,
he vowed that his party, which holds 128 seats in the House,
would remain critical of his own government's policies.
Tjahjo, on the other hand, claims that the Nationhood
Coalition still exists, and that the PDI-P has kept its
communications with Golkar open. "We will see the political
stance of Golkar. We will maintain our independence," he was
quoted by Antara as saying.
Separately, senior PDI-P legislator Sukowaluyo Mintorahardjo
said his faction would continue to fight for the interests of the
grassroots.
Citing an example, Sukowaluyo said the PDI-P faction rejected
the increases in fertilizer prices and medical costs, as well as
education fees, as people could not afford to pay.
"We will pressure other factions to help the people," he told
the Post.
Sukowaluyo said he was optimistic that other factions in the
House would maintain their critical stance towards government
policies.
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction in
the House of Representatives (DPR) has vowed to maintain its
critical stance towards the government, saying it is ready to
stand alone if other factions refuse to join it.
The PDI-P renewed its commitment after its main partner,
Golkar, elected Vice President Jusuf Kalla as new party chairman
at its party congress last month.
"We will continue to closely supervise government policies. We
must be ready to stand alone if other factions refuse to join
us," PDI-P legislator Heri Akhmadi told The Jakarta Post after a
meeting of his faction on Sunday.
The two-day meeting in Cisarua, West Java, which started on
Saturday, discussed the agenda of the PDI-P faction, as well as
matters relating to internal consolidation of the party.
Opening the meeting, former president and PDI-P leader
Megawati Soekarnoputri told the faction to keep its solidity and
to keep a close eye on the government.
She urged PDI-P legislators to maintain their unity.
PDI-P faction chairman Tjahjo Kumolo, meanwhile, said his
group is prepared to force decisions of the House to the vote,
even though the faction has only 109 of the 550 seats in the
national legislature.
The PDI-P and Golkar, in addition to the Prosperous Peace
Party (PDS) and the Reform Star Party (PBR), once comprised a
political grouping in the House called the Nationhood Coalition,
which was initially designed to support Megawati's reelection
bid.
Following her defeat to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the
presidential election run-off on Sept. 20, the Nationhood
Coalition vowed to play a role as an "opposition force" in the
House by providing a "check and balance" mechanism.
Less than three months after the coalition was formed, Golkar
replaced its leader, Akbar Tandjung, with Vice President Jusuf
Kalla, causing the coalition to become irrelevant.
Shortly after winning the Golkar chairmanship, Kalla said that
Golkar would cease support for the National Coalition. However,
he vowed that his party, which holds 128 seats in the House,
would remain critical of his own government's policies.
Tjahjo, on the other hand, claims that the Nationhood
Coalition still exists, and that the PDI-P has kept its
communications with Golkar open. "We will see the political
stance of Golkar. We will maintain our independence," he was
quoted by Antara as saying.
Separately, senior PDI-P legislator Sukowaluyo Mintorahardjo
said his faction would continue to fight for the interests of the
grassroots.
Citing an example, Sukowaluyo said the PDI-P faction rejected
the increases in fertilizer prices and medical costs, as well as
education fees, as people could not afford to pay.
"We will pressure other factions to help the people," he told
the Post.
Sukowaluyo said he was optimistic that other factions in the
House would maintain their critical stance towards government
policies.