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