Soeharto willing to meet consolidated PDI board

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will receive the newly-formed central executive board of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) only after it consolidates its members, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said.

"President Soeharto will receive the new PDI central board if the party is harmoniously consolidated," Moerdiono told reporters after meeting with Soeharto at the State Palace yesterday.

Quoting the President, Moerdiono said consolidation is needed to settle the rival leadership problem of the party. "I think the new PDI central board should be able to unite its members," he said.

A government-sponsored congress in Medan, North Sumatra, last month elected Soerjadi as chairman to replace Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is the eldest daughter of the late president Sukarno.

Megawati has rejected the congress as unconstitutional and claims she is still the legitimate leader. She has also filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against her opponents and some government officials for endorsing the rebel congress.

Soerjadi this week met with Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. and Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung. However, according to Indonesia's political tradition, final government approval is usually given if the leaders of organizations or political parties are received by President Soeharto.

Soerjadi has said that he has requested, through a letter on Tuesday, an audience with President Soeharto. Moerdiono said yesterday that he has yet to read Soerjadi's letter.

"President Soeharto has not read the letter, either," he said.

Separately, a number of senior politicians expressed concern yesterday over the deteriorating conflict in PDI and in the country's social and political situation in general.

The members of the National Brotherhood Foundation (YKPK) held a meeting and issued a statement which called on the government and the people as well to return to the principles of the state ideology Pancasila and of the 1945 Constitution.

One of the members, A. Dahlan Ranuwihardjo, also criticized the government for violating the principles of Pancasila.

"How can government officials talk about a democracy based on Pancasila but frequently violate Pancasila principles?"

"Democracy can be achieved only if people can sit together on an equal basis," he said. "How can you ask someone to sit and talk with you if you have just beaten him?"

Further criticism came yesterday from influential Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid. The chairman of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) pointed out that many instances of "national consensus" have been broken by the ruling power.

"The (government) wields its power every time it deals with social and political affairs," he said.

The meeting's participants included YKPK chairman Lt. Gen. (ret) Bambang Triantoro, former House Speaker M. Kharis Suhud, senior politician Frans Seda, political observer Midian Sirait and PDI deputy chairman Mangara Siahaan, a loyalist of Megawati.

Lawsuit

Separately, a delegation of the toppled PDI central board filed a lawsuit yesterday with the Central Jakarta District Court against the government and congress organizers.

The first party addressed in the lawsuit is a group of 16 party dissenters who initiated the congress; the second party is the congress organizers; the third is Soerjadi's central board; the fourth, Minister Moch. Yogie S.M.; the fifth, Gen. Feisal Tanjung; and finally, National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo, who granted permits to hold the congress.

Led by PDI Secretary-General Alexander Litaay, the delegation asked the Court to rule Megawati as the party's legitimate chairperson for a five-year term of leadership, and to reject the Medan congress and its results.

The delegation was accompanied by lawyers Amartiwi Saleh, R.O. Tambunan, Bambang Widjojanto and Max J. Lamuda.

Meanwhile, opposition against Soerjadi's leadership continued to emerge in various cities. In Surabaya, East Java, about 1,000 Megawati supporters staged a rally against Soerjadi along the city's streets yesterday.

In Semarang, Central Java, head of the local PDI branch Ismoyo said that his office, which supports Megawati, had distributed 10,000 forms to residents. The "referendum forms" are meant to gauge the residents' opinions of the Medan congress.

In addition, 21 local lawyers established a team called "The Team for the Defense of Indonesian Democracy". The team is reportedly preparing a lawsuit against local authorities for allowing a number of Semarang branch members to take part in the congress. (imn/16/har/15)

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