Police return damaged PDI building to state

Police return damaged PDI building to state

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta Police handed over to the state
yesterday the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters
which was seriously damaged in a violent clash between opposing
party factions last July.

The empty PDI headquarters -- with window panes shattered,
broken furniture lying in the front courtyard and part of its
roof ripped off -- was officially handed over by chief of the
Central Jakarta Police investigation department Capt. Edwardsyah
Pernong to officials of the State Secretariat.

The government, which supervises the three political groupings
-- the ruling Golkar, the Moslem-based United Development Party
(PPP) and the PDI -- provides each party with its headquarters
and chapter buildings.

The weliverance of the headquarters was symbolically marked by
the removal of a yellow police line, placed along the
headquarter's fence and gate after the takeover.

"The removal of the police line marks the completion of police
investigations into the takeover and subsequent riots," Chief of
the Central Jakarta Police Lt. Col. M. Ibrahim said in his office
after the ceremony.

Despite the new status the headquarters would still be guarded
by police officers, Ibrahim said.

"People should not even try to enter the headquarters because
we will arrest them," he said.

Ibrahim said the State Secretariat would renovate the
headquarters; the project should be completed within two months.

The building was violently taken over by people claiming to be
supporters of government-backed PDI chairman Soerjadi from the
hands of supporters of overthrown party chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri on July 27.

The move sparked mass rioting which left five dead, over 100
injured and 23 others still reportedly missing.

The government now only recognizes Soerjadi, who was elected
at a congress organized by party dissenters in the North Sumatra
capital of Medan last June.

Megawati was elected by popular vote in the party's
extraordinary congress in Surabaya in 1993. She has repeatedly
insisted she remains the lawful leader, at least pending the
court's decision on her lawsuit against the rebel party congress.

Officials of the general election institute have barred
Megawati's faction from participating in the general elections,
slated for May 29 this year.

The national election institute rejected in September
Megawati's list of legislature candidates for the May election;
it accepted Soerjadi's list, instead.

Authorities have since closed down the temporary headquarters
established by Megawati's camp in Condet, East Jakarta. Her
faction now runs the party's routine activities from her
residence in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. (jun/imn)