PDI split on controversial House exit plan
JAKARTA (JP): The government-recognized leadership of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) was split yesterday on a controversial plan to relinquish its House of Representatives seats won in last Thursday's general election.
PDI Secretary-General Buttu Hutapea said the party's post- election leadership meeting had been extended until today to make a final decision.
"We heard reports on election violations in the provinces throughout the day, but we have not started talks on measures we will take in response to our findings," Buttu said.
The party's Central Sulawesi chief Abdul Manaf Latjambo said the party leaders had released a provisional directive for no branches to approve election results in their respective provinces, pending a decision by the national leadership.
Buttu denied that the marathon plenary meeting, chaired by party leader Soerjadi, had included discussions on the plan to quit the House.
Deputy chairman Ismunandar, Jakarta chief Loekman Mokoginta and his South Sulawesi counterpart Andi Hasit were the meeting's major absentees. Loekman and Ismunandar were on a trip to Germany with fellow city councilors and Andi was sick.
With ballot counting almost at an end, PDI has managed to win only 10 seats, one shy of minimum representation in the House.
It was obvious, however, that some provincial leaders attending the meeting supported the exit plan despite Buttu's statement.
Latjambo was one of the party figures favoring the plan. He said that a move to leave PDI's House seats vacant would force the government to examine its own electoral system that had failed to uphold fair play in the elections.
A source said the Jakarta, Central Java, Yogyakarta and North Sumatra offices had joined the chorus demanding an early PDI exit from the House.
East Timor branch chief Gabriel Da Costa represented those who opposed the idea to pull out of the House, saying it was not the proper means to protest the government over election irregularities.
Deputy chairman Budi Hardjono said as of yesterday evening none of the branches had officially called on the leadership to relinquish the party's House seats.
He admitted that supporters of the party's ousted leader Megawati Soekarnoputri not voting PDI was one of the key reasons behind the PDI annihilation. Megawati announced a week before last Thursday's polls that she would not vote.
Earlier in the day, General Elections Committee Secretary- General, Suryatna Subrata, told the undermanned PDI not to waste its House seats.
He said: "The PDI's decision to relinquish its House seats will disappoint its supporters who voted for it.
"The PDI central board should think it over carefully before making such a decision."
Speaking about Golkar chairman Harmoko's offer to hand over the unallocated seats to PDI, Suryatna said it was not regulated in the electoral laws.
"There must have been prior agreement between the three poll contestants when each of them submitted their list of provisional legislative candidates for such a course of action to be taken," he said.
When asked about some United Development Party branches' threat not to sign the official election results report, Suryatna said it would not cause any problems for the general elections institute.
"The official general election result reports will be validated by each provincial or regency office of the general elections committee. They have nothing to do with any party's chapter or branch chairman," he said.
The provincial and regency offices of the general elections committee consist of government and military officials as well as representatives of the three contestants. (imn/amd)