Rival leaders of PDI attack each other
Rival leaders of PDI attack each other
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) celebrated
its 24th anniversary yesterday with the opposing leaders showing
no signs of the reconciliation many have recommended.
The government-recognized party chief Soerjadi celebrated the
anniversary in Central Sulawesi and ousted chief Megawati
Soekarnoputri at her residence in Jakarta.
Enlivening Soerjadi's party were armed Forces Chief Gen.
Feisal Tanjung and Home Affairs Minister Moch. Yogie S.M. while
Megawati's "honorable" guests were Abdul Madjid and Sabam Sirait,
aging politicians who helped found the party in 1973.
The revelry at Megawati's mansion attended by some 400 of her
loyalists passed without incident despite a threat by Feisal that
the authorities would "take punitive action" against the
organizers because it was held without a permit.
Megawati "disguised" the gathering as a breaking of the fast
dinner in a clever tactic to avoid trouble with the authorities
over the official permit.
In the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, police reportedly
arrested seven Megawati loyalists who planned to stage a
demonstration against Soerjadi. They were freed hours later.
Both Soerjadi and Megawati issued political statements that
politely attacked each other and the government.
In the Central Sulawesi town of Tentena, Soerjadi told his
supporters "some people" had exploited the PDI's internal
conflict for their own political gains.
He charged that his political foes had been out to discredit
his leadership and had resorted to "anarchy" in their efforts to
gain ground.
Soerjadi did not name names. It is understood that his
presence has been violently rejected in numerous areas,
especially in Java by Megawati supporters who claim he is a
government puppet.
He said what the party needed now was to regain peace so that
it could consolidate and end the on-dragging conflict.
Soerjadi also criticized the government of being less
responsive to the people's wish for justice.
"Recent mob violence in the provinces is a manifestation of
people's anger at the widespread injustices," he was quoted by
Antara as saying.
Soerjadi ousted Megawati in a government-backed congress in
Medan in June. But Megawati insists the maneuver was illegal and
maintains she is still the legitimate leader.
At her party, Megawati called on her supporters to go to the
polls next year despite the leadership conflict within the
minority party.
"Keep your poll registration card and use it when the election
day comes," she said.
Megawati's political foes have charged her with suggesting her
supporters boycott the May 29 election this year to show their
frustration with the political situation.
She blamed the on-dragging internal rift on Soerjadi's camp
for acting like "political hoodlums". She also accused the
government of meddling in the party's internal affairs.
The "third party", she said, stirred up the internal dispute
that culminated in the infamous July 27, 1996 riot in Jakarta, in
which five people were killed and 23 people went missing.
"The course of PDI's internal disputes was worsened by
political hoodlums who resorted to unconstitutional ways," she
said.
Megawati also express her concern over the recent series of
riots and called for people to promote tolerance and solidarity.
"Let us join together in our mutual efforts to create a more
democratic nation based on the state ideology Pancasila and the
1945 Constitution," she said.
Meanwhile, Feisal told reporters after attending the
government-recognized celebration in Tentena that the government
had never allowed anybody but the party's chairman Soerjadi to
hold the event. (imn/amd)