PDI yet to decide stance on election results

PDI yet to decide stance on election results

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) maintained
over the weekend its threat to reject general election results in
protest of alleged violations.

A leadership meeting held here Saturday issued a directive
which encouraged the party's branches across the country's 305
regencies to boycott the endorsement of ballot counting results,
which runs from today through to next Monday.

"We have asked our branches to relay their protests to their
respective regional election supervision committees. We have also
called on them not to sign the results if our protests are not
properly handled," PDI secretary-general Buttu Hutapea said after
the meeting.

"Up to now, there has been no indication that the protests
have been heeded," he said.

The approval of election results follows the bottom-up order,
from the second administrative level to the provincial level.
Official results will be announced by the National Elections
Committee on June 23.

Buttu said the party leadership will have decided on whether
PDI would sign the official results or not by June 22.

According to election rules, poll results remain valid without
approval from the political parties contending the general
election, which are the PDI, the dominant Golkar and the Moslem-
based United Development Party (PPP).

Buttu said all party branches were asked to report violations
in detail, ranging from crimes to administrative irregularities.

The party leadership issued official protests to the General
Election Institute Wednesday over violations during the election
campaign, the cooling-off period, vote casting and ballot
counting.

It said the party would boycott the remaining stages of the
general election if the election organizers failed to handle the
violations properly. The boycott would mean that PDI would quit
the House.

The party said that irregularities were behind its drastic
decline of votes. With ballot counting almost over, PDI has
secured only 10 House of Representatives seats, compared to PPP's
89 and Golkar's 325.

Consolidation

Buttu said Saturday's meeting, led by chairman Soerjadi, was
marked by a discussion on the party's bid to bounce back.

"We want to look ahead to the future... consolidate our full
strength for the congress next year, instead of being occupied by
our worst defeat," Buttu said.

He dismissed speculations that the party's congress would be
moved forward due to its poor showing in the recent election.

"We confirmed our intention to hold the congress in June next
year as scheduled, in which we will deliver our accountability
over our performance in the election," Buttu said.

He was commenting on a recent statement by deputy chairman,
Budi Hardjono, that an early congress could be held to avoid the
party from suffering further demoralization.

Budi was present at Saturday's meeting and, according to
Buttu, was asked to clarify his remarks.

"We conclude the press has misunderstood his (Budi's)
statement," said Buttu.

Buttu said the party had decided to form a team made up of
leadership board members to carry out the consolidation program.
They will visit the party's grassroots supporters to explain the
party's upset defeat.

A congress will elect the party's chairman and cabinet lineup.

The party was split into two factions following a government-
backed congress which reinstated Soerjadi and ousted chairwoman
Megawati Soekarnoputri last year.

Buttu said there was no room for Megawati to run for the
party's top post. (amd)