Reformists may form splinter PDI-P

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

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) will likely be rattled by a major split, as senior party members opposed to Megawati Soekarnoputri's leadership are preparing for a breakaway congress, claiming the current meeting lacks legitimacy.

The squabbling may lead to the formation of a new party, a move that could further undermine PDI-P's efforts to recover from its defeats in the 2004 legislative and presidential elections.

Senior party member Sukowaluyo Mintoharjo said the reformist camp within the party would form a board of executives, who will "manage and organize the interests of party members demanding sweeping reforms".

"We will decide in the next few days whether to hold a rival congress, pending our legal measures against the ongoing congress, which we consider illegitimate," Sukowaluyo announced during a press conference on Tuesday at the Sanur Beach Hotel, two kilometers away from the Grand Bali Beach Hotel, the venue of the official congress.

Also present at the press conference were Laksamana Sukardi, Imam Mundijat, Didi Supriyanto and Mochtar Buchori. The conference followed a gathering of the reform camp, which saw a number of congress participants vent their anger against PDI-P leader Megawati.

The group's team of lawyers led by R.O. Tambunan filed a lawsuit with the Denpasar District Court against the legitimacy of the congress later in the day. Around 60 congress participants from various provinces lent their support for the legal action.

Although the seeds of an internal conflict have been germinating for months before the five-day congress began on Monday, the reformists lost their trust in the PDI-P leadership and the congress after the central board pushed for a bloc vote mechanism to elect the party's leader for the next five years.

The controversial decision was made during a plenary meeting held behind closed doors on Monday night, which saw 24 representatives from Papua walk out as they demanded a one- person, one-vote format.

Imam, as well as other party members from the reform camp, accused the central board of violating the party's statutes -- passed during the 2000 congress -- by restricting regional representatives' right to vote.

Article 21 of the statutes does not specifically regulate the voting mechanism. But it does state that all representatives are bound by the decisions made during conventions in their respective regional offices prior to the congress.

Imam said the group would approach all of the party's founding members and ask them to revoke their mandate for the congress due to the alleged violations.

"If we manage to convince at least 40 out of 67 party founders, we will have a strong basis to annul the congress," he said.

He suggested that all congress members compile violations of the party statutes and those supporting the reform to support the legal measures to prevent the central board from dismissing them.

"We are in the process of a 'divorce'. While the legal process is underway, the central board has no right to expel us from the structure or the legislative bodies," Imam said.

In his emotional testimony, a representative from Pare-pare in South Sulawesi, Dharmawangsa, said his compassion for Megawati had turned to hatred after he was prevented from protesting the bloc vote mechanism on Monday night.

"Once our rights were restricted by an authoritarian government, now it is our 'friends' who oppress us," he told the audience. With the plan to organize a breakaway congress gathering pace, Laksamana said his bid for the leadership post would be put on hold.

"I will not talk about the chances of winning the post, at least until the procedure is revised," he said.

The reform group has nominated Laksamana, the state enterprises minister in then president Megawati's Cabinet from 2001 to 2004, deputy leader Roy B.B. Janis and Megawati's brother Guruh Soekarnoputra. But the group also is proposing a presidium comprised of those three figures to lead the party.

Responding to the group's move, deputy PDI-P secretary Pramono Anung said the current congress is the only legitimate forum because it has been attended by representatives from all of the party's regional offices. "Those who dare to stage a rival congress will face disciplinary actions from the party."

Megawati was first selected to lead the party in 1993 -- at the time it was called the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). The nationalist-oriented party was split in 1994, following a Soeharto-inspired move aimed at deposing Megawati from the party leadership. The bulk of the party supporters, however, stood behind Megawati, who eventually became president in 2001.

The demand for sweeping reforms comes after the party lost both the legislative and presidential elections. The reform group blamed her leadership style for the double defeat.