PDI Perjuangan and PPP split on Sutiyoso's speech
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and United Development Party (PPP) factions in the City Council will likely be split on whether to accept or reject Governor Sutiyoso's accountability speech.
"We're now in a very difficult situation -- whether to follow the wishes of the party or the people," councillor from PDI Perjuangan faction Bimo Hastoro told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
The split of 30 members from the PDI Perjuangan faction was sparked by a recommendation from the party's Central Board, signed by its chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, which instructed all councillors from the party to support Sutiyoso's reelection.
The party will also punish legislators who ignore the recommendation. So far, the faction has two gubernatorial candidates: Sutiyoso and PDI Perjuangan's Jakarta chapter head Tarmidi Suhardjo.
Previously, PDI Perjuangan's Jakarta Chapter had nominated eight gubernatorial candidates from the Party membership, including Tarmidi. Those councillors who support Tarmidi's candidacy will likely reject Sutiyoso's speech.
On July 27, 2002, some 1,000 supporters of the party also expressed opposition to Sutiyoso's nomination as he remains implicated in the July 27, 1996, incident, when a group of military personnel and civilians attacked Megawati's supporters at the then PDI headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.
The 85 members of the City Council will vote on the accountability speech at the Council's plenary session on Monday.
Councillors' responses to Sutiyoso's speech will give an indication as to whether they propose to support his reelection as Jakarta governor during the election on Sept. 11.
So far only the factions of the National Mandate Party (PAN), with 13 seats, the Justice Party (PK), with four, and the Crescent and Star Party (PBB), with two, have openly stated their rejection of Sutiyoso's accountability speech.
The PPP and PDI Perjuangan factions held separate meetings on Sunday in an effort to seek a common view regarding the accountability speech.
"I cannot comment about our common stance on the accountability speech as the meeting is still ongoing," said legislator from the PPP faction Zayadi Musa on Sunday afternoon.
The split of 12 PPP faction members was sparked by the disappointment of some legislators and other party leaders over a decision by PDI Perjuangan to nominate City Secretary Fauzi Bowo as its vice gubernatorial candidate in a pairing with Sutiyoso.
They were disappointed at both the PDI Perjuangan faction and Sutiyoso, as previously there had been an agreement between the PPP and PDI Perjuangan factions that Sutiyoso would be paired with Chudlary Syafi'i, a deputy chairman of the City Council from PPP.
Chairman of PPP Jakarta chapter Syarif Zulkarnein Ginting said that Vice President Hamzah Haz, who is the party chairman, had asked the party councillors to withdraw their support for Sutiyoso.
So far only the Golkar Party faction, which has eight seats, has signaled its unconditional support for Sutiyoso. Other support may come from the Military/Police faction, with nine seats, and several minor factions on the City Council.
Chairman of the PAN faction Nazamuddin said that a decision on Sutiyoso's accountability speech would be made on a vote as it was unlikely that all 85 Council members would have the same reaction to Sutiyoso's speech.
"The PAN faction will reject the accountability speech, as Sutiyoso has failed to resolve a variety of issues, such as corruption, security and social problems," Nazamuddin told the Post.
Meanwhile, chairman of Bamus Betawi (the Organization of Native Jakartans) Abdul Syukur said here on Sunday that the organization would reject the reelection of Sutiyoso as next governor as he was not a native Jakartan.
"We'll continue our fight for a native Jakartan to become the next governor here," he said. "We'll ask all City Councillors to heed the wishes of the general public, particularly Betawi people."