Planned suit against PDI congress acceptable

Planned suit against PDI congress acceptable

JAKARTA (JP): Groups involved in the worsening rift within the
minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) agreed with officials
yesterday that their bickering should be settled in court.

"No problem," said Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Feisal
Tanjung yesterday about PDI chief Megawati Soekarnoputri's plan
to sue him for his endorsement of the recent rebel congress which
resulted in the election of Soerjadi as rival chairman.

"There's nothing wrong with her plan. If Megawati filed a
lawsuit against me, no problem," he said after attending a
limited ministerial meeting at the office of Coordinating
Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman.

"She can go ahead," he added.

Megawati's lawyers had earlier signaled that the embattled
party chief would sue the ABRI chief. Megawati's loyal supporters
have accused high-ranking civilian and military officials of
planning and participating in the congress last week in North
Sumatra's capital of Medan, which Megawati rejected as
unconstitutional.

Her faction also said they would sue Minister of Home Affairs
Moch. Yogie S.M. and National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo
for granting permits to party dissenters to hold the congress.

They said they would also sue the dissenters, which were led
by Megawati's former deputy, Fatimah Achmad. Megawati dismissed
the 16 dissenters last week.

The government, represented by Director General for
Sociopolitics at the Ministry of Home Affairs Sutoyo N.K.,
expressed a similar opinion to that of the Armed Forces commander
regarding the planned lawsuit.

"This is a country of rules and regulations. They have the
right to file the lawsuit," Sutoyo told a press conference
yesterday. He was accompanied by Minister Soesilo Soedarman.

"The government will be ready to face the suit," he said.

Dibyo Widodo also said he was ready to go to court.

"They should just go on with their planned lawsuit against the
congress organizers," rival chairman Soerjadi said yesterday.

Sutoyo reiterated that as far as the government was concerned,
Megawati's leadership was not legal anymore. "We won't recognize
her board any longer," he said, but added that the government has
no intention to take legal action against Megawati.

He declined to answer when reporters suggested that the
government had ignored Megawati's account of the number of party
branches that demanded a congress, which differed from Fatimah's
account. The latter had said that the majority of the branches
had called for a congress, while Megawati said the number did not
even reach half of the 306 branches nationwide.

From the opposing camp, Megawati's loyalist Soetardjo
Soerjogoeritno blasted Sutoyo for his remarks about the legality
of Megawati's board.

"I really regret what he said. He shouldn't have ignored the
fact that the congress was held against the party's
constitution," he told a press conference.

Meanwhile, Soerjadi again claimed that the PDI headquarters on
Jl. Diponegoro No. 58 in Central Jakarta belonged to the
officially-recognized board. "The headquarters belongs to my
board," he said.

Regarding speculation that his supporters would forcibly take
over the office, which is now occupied by Megawati's camp, he
said that "it's not our priority right now."

"We still have patience and are willing to settle the problem
wisely," he said.

He denied reports that he had asked the Armed Forces to help
take over the headquarters, but said that he would accept any
parties' offer to help.

Soerjadi also said that he was ready to include Megawati in
managing the party, but wouldn't be able to place her in the
central executive board, because only a congress is entitled to
do so.

He said he has requested that he be received by President
Soeharto and Vice President Try Sutrisno, but has not received
any response so far. (imn/bsr)

Reconciliation -- Page 2

Editorial -- Page 4