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)