PDI should return to status quo: Suhardiman

JAKARTA (JP): The deputy chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council, Suhardiman, suggested yesterday that the government break the impasse of the rival leadership within the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), by returning to the status quo.

Pending court rulings on a lawsuit filed by ousted PDI chief Megawati Soekarnoputri against the government and the organizers of last month's government-backed congress which elected Soerjadi as her replacement, "a status quo should remain over the party's leadership," Suhardiman said yesterday.

The leader of SOKSI, a labor wing of the ruling Golkar organization, said the government should therefore consider Megawati the party's lawful chairperson until a court ruled otherwise.

"This stance is needed to break the impasse because the party now has two chiefs," he said.

Suhardiman acknowledged that Soerjadi enjoyed the government's support, but said he doubted the man would be able to consolidate the party as the majority of members still wanted Megawati at the helm.

Separately yesterday, Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid reiterated that the government would only recognize Soerjadi.

At another occasion a diehard Megawati loyalist flatly rejected Soerjadi's recent offer of positions in the House of Representatives for her senior supporters provided they recognize the rebel congress.

"Soerjadi's statement is an insult to us," said Aberson Marle Sihaloho, an outspoken House member who has been in hot water for his critical stand on the Armed Forces' political role.

"If we accepted his offer, that would mean that we recognized the Medan congress and all its results, including recognition of the army's role in politics," he told The Jakarta Post.

Also in Jakarta, deputy secretary-general of Megawati's board Haryanto Taslam said almost 100 of the 306 PDI branches had sent their lists of candidates for legislative councils to her camp.

He said he expected the remaining branches would show their loyalty toward Megawati by also sending their list to her camp by Aug. 15. The PDI branch in Bali has already declared that it would send its legislative councils' candidates list to Megawati.

From the opposing camp, the secretary-general of Soerjadi's board, Buttu Hutapea said his camp has yet to receive lists of candidates from any PDI branch in the country.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung told a school congress in Yogyakarta yesterday that he was "amazed" that there is a party in Indonesia whose members love nothing but scuffling.

He did not name the party but the audience could tell the general was referring to PDI.

"Let's hope other political parties will not take it as a model," he told participants of the Taman Siswa congress. He asked them to stay calm and keep away from the bickering.

Separately, political observer Riswandha Imawan said that what is happening within the minority PDI is only a "transplant" of the conflict of interests in the government elite.

Without thorough consideration, some government officials sought to dethrone Megawati because of fears that her charisma would attract substantial numbers of voters and so pose a threat to Golkar, he said.

The number of PDI-held seats in the House has been rising since the 1987 election under Soerjadi's leadership but Megawati has not yet proven she is also capable of continuing the trend, he argued.

"Unfortunately, some people in the government are scared of Megawati's potential. Their fear is rather groundless," Riswandha said.

He warned that unless the ongoing PDI conflict is properly resolved the government might be forced to postpone next year's election.

The leadership conflict, he said, has been exploited by numerous interest groups wanting to forward their own agenda, including those who just want to trigger chaos. (imn/pan/har/23)