Reformists ready to show Mega the door

Reformists ready to show Mega the door

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Branding themselves a movement to reform the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), prominent members
of the party joined forces on Monday to bring an end to the
domination of incumbent leader Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The movement, led by businessman-cum-politician Arifin
Panigoro, said that if the party wished to transform itself into
a modern political party that would stand the test of time,
reform-minded members had to join the drive to release Megawati's
grip on the party's structure.

"The party congress scheduled for March, will be the right
time to propose the discarding of so many of Megawati's
prerogatives. She must no longer be given the sole authority to
appoint members of the central board," said Arifin who drew
applause from hundreds of the party members who attended the
declaration of the movement at the Sahid Jaya Hotel.

Other top party cadres who attended the function were PDI-P
central board member Roy B.B. Janis, former state minister for
state enterprises Laksamana Sukardi, PDI Perjuangan legislator
and Megawati's younger brother Guruh Soekarnoputra, and secretary
of the new movement Didi Supriyanto.

Two initiators of the movement, former minister of national
development planning/chairman of the National Planning Agency
(Bappenas) Kwik Kian Gie and party dissident Sophan Sophiaan, did
not show up at the meeting.

PDI Perjuangan is to hold a national congress in late March
with the main agenda of electing a new chairperson and to review
its programs following its defeat in the recent legislative and
presidential elections.

Arifin also said that Megawati's poor showing in the 2004
presidential election was striking evidence that the bulk of the
party's constituents no longer supported her.

The movement also sought to strengthen the party's central
board which is now manned by a small number of Megawati's close
confidants, including Sutjipto and Pramono Anung.

"The party is too big to be left in the hands of a small
number of people," Arifin said.

Arifin also announced his resignation from the House, saying
that he did not have enough time citing his business activities
as the main reason.

Roy, who also served as chairman of the congress organizing
committee, said the movement would seek to propose a radical
change in the mechanism to elect a new party leader.

"We have drawn up a proposal to bring democracy to the
party... and I will feel deeply guilty if I failed to bring about
such a change," Roy said.

The reform movement, however, would only seek an end to
Megawati's executive power in the party as it did not want to
remove her from the country's second largest party but plans to
offer her a possible position on the party's steering council --
a new body designed to supervise the work of party executives.

The movement has also named several party cadres to be
proposed to replace Megawati. They include Guruh, Kwik,
Laksamana, Sophan and Roy.

Political analyst Syamsuddin Haris of the Indonesian Institute
of Sciences (LIPI) said that the emergence of the reform movement
within the party was an indication that it was at the crossroads
of wanting to preserve old values and of embracing the principles
of democracy.

"Megawati is both a burden and a blessing for PDI Perjuangan.
Without her it is doubtful that it will garner the bulk of votes
in the next elections, however her domination has been allowed at
the expense of much-needed reform," he said.