Reform drive wanes as critics join Megawati camp

Dwi Atmanta and M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The attempt to challenge Megawati Soekarnoputri's control of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) fizzled on Wednesday after leading figures in the reform-minded group made a last-minute decision to jump on the Megawati bandwagon.

In a move that is likely to deal a severe blow to the opposition group, the most credible candidate to challenge Megawati, her brother, Guruh Soekarnoputra, openly declared his displeasure with the possible formation of a rival PDI-P leadership and the convening of a breakaway congress.

"I personally disagree to a possible breakaway congress or rival central board because it could jeopardize the party's unity. The PDI-P is the manifestation of the people's sovereignty, if it splits the people will also be divided," he said outside the Grand Bali Beach Hotel where the conference is taking place.

Guruh, however, denied speculations that he had been offered a reward by Megawati for his about-face decision.

"I have spoken with Mbak Mega, but it did not concern any possible position that would be accorded to me. I told her that I am not on anybody's side," Guruh said. He felt free to accept or reject any offer from Megawati, he said.

In the early stage of the congress, Guruh pledged that he would challenge Megawati's candidacy, claiming that he had won support from the bulk of the party's local leaders who shared the sweeping reform agenda within the PDI-P.

Another reform-minded figure who initially opposed the possibility of Megawati leading the PDI-P in the future, Roy B.B. Janis, has also began to distance himself from the dissenting group.

He was not present during the meeting of the splinter group, which took place at the Patra Bali resort hotel in Kuta, some 20 kilometers from the venue of the current congress.

A source in the PDI-P said Megawati was unlikely to "punish" Roy, although he "has gone too far", but then said Roy would be unlikely to keep his membership of the party's central board if Megawati was reelected party leader.

Participants of the congress are expected to unanimously reelect Megawati in a plenary session on Thursday, and grant her the powerful prerogative to hand pick her aides for her next five-year term.

Signs of the setback had been visible since the morning, when some 50 regional party functionaries supporting the reform movement arrived at the hotel. They debated among themselves whether to declare a rival party, right after some of them pasted on the wall a red banner, which read PDI-P Reform. The banner was stuck to the wall for just a few minutes, before the majority in the floor demanded that it be brought down.

In the afternoon, hundreds of reform supporters began to stream into the resort compound in a show of solidarity. Some of them staged a musical performance, while the rest were seated outside the meeting room. Among the crowd was former PDI-P Central Java leader Mardiyo, who was dismissed for challenging Megawati's preference of Mardiyanto in the gubernatorial election in 2003.

Inside the meeting room, the audience looked impatient with the reform leaders for wasting their time. The meeting had originally been scheduled to start at 10 a.m., but did not start until after 2 p.m.

"We can't maintain our reform spirit longer if we fail to take a clear stance on whether to hold a breakaway congress or to wage a resistance movement in the ongoing congress," a representative from East Java said.

Their disappointment mounted when they found Guruh was not among the reform leaders who would join them in formulating their opposition movement. "Where is Guruh? Where is he?" yelled some of the reform supporters prior to the start of the meeting.

One of the reform movement initiators, Sukowaluyo Mintoharjo, also avoided talks on a rival congress or a splinter party. "We have to take into consideration the legitimacy and the strength of a breakaway party," he said.

In response to the opposition's move to take legal action against the congress which they deemed illegitimate, Megawati's camp said it planned to fight back.

"Their lawsuit is just a farce as they seek material damages worth only Rp 1,000. I wonder what exactly the true loss (to them) is," PDI-P lawyer Gayus Lumbun said. He added the party leadership was preparing a counter-lawsuit against the reform group.

Discourse - Page 3