Sutiyoso rejects offer to join PDI Perjuangan
Ahmad Junaidi, ,The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso spurned the advances of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) on Monday, declining an offer to join the party.
"Joining a political party is something that I have not yet considered. My soul is still military," Sutiyoso, a retired general, told reporters at City Hall.
PDI Perjuangan councillor Maringan Pangaribuan said over the weekend that his party, the largest in the country, would consider nominating Sutiyoso for a second five-year term as governor if he joined the party.
The offer extended to Sutiyoso is particularly ironic because of the history between the party and the governor.
Sutiyoso was the Jakarta Military Commander in 1996 when the Central Jakarta headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party, which Megawati Soekarnoputri chaired, was attacked, and Sutiyoso's name came up during investigations into the incident.
The attack claimed the lives of several party members, but the case never reached the courts. Megawati is now the chairwoman of PDI Perjuangan and the country's President.
Sutiyoso reiterated on Monday that he had no personal ambition to be nominated for a second term as governor, but that he would contest the election, which will be held in October, if called upon.
"I'm ready if I have the support of political parties and the public," he said.
Besides Sutiyoso, several other names have been mentioned as possible candidates. A number of these people have military backgrounds, including State Intelligence Body chief Lt. Gen. (ret) A.M. Hendropriyono, who is also a PDI Perjuangan member.
The Indonesian Military Headquarters reportedly has pushed former Udayana Military commander Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri for the governorship.
Rights activists have demanded that the next governor of Jakarta not be drawn from the military because of past human rights violations by the armed forces.
Some of the possible civilian candidates who have been mentioned are the chairman of PDI Perjuangan's Jakarta chapter, Tarmidi Suhardjo, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Harun Alrasyid and City Secretary Fauzi Bowo.
All but one Jakarta governor has had a military background.
Sutiyoso also denied on Monday that there were plans to promote Fauzi, a German-trained engineer, to secretary-general of the Ministry of Home Affairs so that he would be unable to contest the election.
"There is no (such scenario), though I would be glad if (Fauzi) was appointed secretary-general because that would mean one of my subordinates was a success," he said.
The next city governor will be elected by the 85 city councillors. PDI Perjuangan, with 30 councillors, will be influential in deciding who will lead Jakarta.
The Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP) and the Muslim-oriented National Mandate Party (PAN) have 13 seats each on the council, while the Indonesian Military/National Police faction and Golkar have nine and eight seats, respectively.
PDI Perjuangan reportedly refused to form a coalition with PAN, which was asking that one of its party members be elected vice governor. If the two parties did join forces, their 43 seats would be enough to elect the governor and vice governor.
PDI Perjuangan is more likely to form a coalition with the Military/Police faction and the Golkar Party, because all three share similar nationalist ideologies.