Reformists may form splinter PDI-P

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.