Sutiyoso rejects offer to join PDI Perjuangan

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.