Quo vadis PDI?

Quo vadis PDI?

The party of fusion has turned, temporarily at least, into a
party of confusion. However, being an underdog, the Indonesian
Democratic Party could win popular support and sympathy, not out
of ideological persuasion (how could a fused party have an
ideology of its own) but rather from protest votes and/or the
perception that PDI has been unfairly treated. The Musyawarah
Nasional (National Concord) of 1993, in which the eldest daughter
of the late president Soekarno was elected chairwoman put the
ruckus in the PDI on the back burner. But the latest development
has shown the concord has turned into a discord.

Without much practical experience, but with her father's
charismatic name, Megawati could be what American pollsters call
a "votes catcher" -- and a strong one at that.

There has indeed been great confusion as regards the purpose
of holding a congress at this particular time, one year before
the general election. If the congress dumps the current
chairwoman it could have serious repercussions on PDI. It is like
changing horses mid race, the new horse could flounder.

If there is no intention of dethroning the incumbent
chairwoman, then unequivocal denial should be issued immediately.
As of now, the plan to hold a congress has led to an unnecessary
split.

To my non-political mind, the urgent problem now facing PDI,
and for the other party for that matter, is how to consolidate
its strategy to win votes in the general election. All bickering
and feuds should be put aside until after the legislative
election. That would be the right time to evaluate the
performance of PDI.

If the main objective of holding a congress is to change the
chairperson then the following guesses can be made:

* The congress-now group has strong reason to fear that under
the current chairmanship, PDI would be unable to maintain the
number of chairs gained in the 1992 elections.

* Certain PDI bigwigs probably harbor deep grudges against the
chairwoman, because she is not from the so-called "inner circle",
those who have reached the top leadership from below through long
years of dedication to PDI.

It is not the best time to hold a party congress, unless it is
to discuss plans and steps to consolidate PDI strategy to face
the general election. If the purpose of convening a congress is
to unseat Megawati, the party could be plunged into further
splits and bickering.

SOEGIO SOSROSOEMARTO

Jakarta