Pro-Megawati group occupies PDI office

Pro-Megawati group occupies PDI office

MEDAN, North Sumatra: About 500 supporters of ousted
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri,
peacefully took over the provincial party's headquarters from the
pro-Soerjadi faction Saturday.

"Megawati is PDI's legitimate leader. We are the real owners
of this office," said Azwir Matondang, the leader of the pro-
Megawati group.

They arrived early in the morning at the office on Jl. Raden
Saleh; most were wearing red shorts with a halftone of Megawati.

After gathering in the front yard for several minutes, the
crowd strolled into the office where only one or two people were
present.

Security officers were on hand but kept a distance as they
merely watched the peaceful takeover. A large traffic jam quickly
formed as people gathered to watch the "men in red" celebrate the
return of their office which they lost in 1996.

"Soerjadi is a political crook, who was supported by the old
regime," Matondang emotionally told the crowd.

The gathering quickly became a free-speech forum; it called on
President B.J. Habibie to sack newly appointed State Minister of
Environment Panangian Siregar.

Panangian, a pro-Soerjadi supporter, was chairman of PDI's
North Sumatra chapter before his appointment to the cabinet last
month.

"Siregar must be sacked because he was one of the main actors
behind the toppling of Megawati in 1996," said Matondang.

Soerjadi ousted Megawati from the PDI leadership in 1996 in a
government-backed congress here. (21)