Sophan's resignation reveals party rift

Sophan's resignation reveals party rift

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The resignation of legislator Sophan Sophiaan from both the House
of Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) may have been triggered by intense pressure to tow the
party line on controversial issues, a fellow legislator said.

"We (legislators of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle, PDI Perjuangan) are being forced to follow the policies
outlined by the party's executive board," Aberson Marle Sihaloho
told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Aberson, who has always maintained his critical and
independent stance, even under the repressive rule of former
president Soeharto, refused to reveal the policies that had been
forced upon PDI Perjuangan legislators, saying only that such
coercion negated their role as people's representatives.

Sophan Sophiaan submitted his resignation letters to the DPR
and MPR on Friday, but will continue as a member of the PDI
Perjuangan.

His resignation came in the wake of a visible split in the PDI
Perjuangan over whether or not it should support the setting up
of a House special committee to investigate House Speaker Akbar
Tandjung, a suspect in a Rp 40 billion financial scandal
involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog). The PDI Perjuangan
is the biggest faction in the House with 153 members.

Sophan said earlier that he could no longer tolerate unfair
internal rivalry and conflicts, and that the party was no longer
fighting for the people's interests but rather its own.

Aberson said on Sunday that an elite group in the PDI
Perjuangan had issued a statement requiring every faction member
to follow "all policies" mandated by the party's executive board,
and that all PDI Perjuangan legislators had been forced to sign a
statement pronouncing their agreement to abide by party policies.

"How can we follow the party's policy if we consider it to be
wrong? I signed the statement, but I will always uphold the
interests of the people," he said.

Fellow PDI Perjuangan legislator Sukowaluyo Mintorahardjo
admitted that his party had been ineffective in promoting badly-
needed reforms because of conflicting interests among groups
within the party.

"We share similar concerns with Pak Sophan, but we are
responding differently," Sukowaluyo told the Post.

Both Aberson and Sukowaluyo said that they would not resign
from the House and would rather try to ensure that thorough
reforms were pursued.

Aberson said he had suffered hard times under the repressive
regime of former president Soeharto, and that he was familiar
with external pressure.

"Perhaps, because Sophan is my junior he can't stand the
pressure and mental anguish," he added.

He expressed concern over a comment made by PDI Perjuangan
deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung that the faction had
suffered no big loss with Sophan's resignation.

Aberson suggested that Pramono should consider the reasons
behind Sophan's decision to quit instead of commenting on the
resignation.

"Pramono said nothing of substance. He should look at the real
state of the PDI Perjuangan," he said.