The government's PDI dilemma

There are signs that the government is deliberately making it difficult for the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) under the leadership of Megawati Soekarnoputri to obtain a permit to hold a congress. The government's excuse is that Megawati persists on using the name PDI -- a name which the government insists belongs to the PDI faction led by Budi Hardjono. Thus the only obstacle that is standing in the way of the Megawati faction's planned congress in Denpasar, Bali, next month, seems to be is its name.

Is all this fuss, then, merely about a name? Surely not. It seems that the present government is still averse to recognizing Megawati's PDI faction. As we can see, the people who under the old regime -- the New Order -- made things difficult for Megawati, still dominate political policy-making in the Habibie government. Allowing the Megawati faction of the PDI to continue to exist would mean reversing their achievement. Things are made worse by the fact that there is every indication the PDI under Megawati will grow and could thrash the party's government- supported Budi Hardjono faction in the coming general election.

Actually -- if the government were to sincerely adopt an open attitude, if it had a real intention to allow democracy to grow naturally and if it had no desire to maintain the status quo -- it should have nothing to fear from Megawati's PDI. Let the two factions compete in a healthy manner, let the nation test their commitment and let it decide which faction deserves to carry the authentic PDI label, which of the two is truly committed to fighting for democracy.

Still, we understand the government's fears. Megawati and her associates are not leaders to whom compromise comes easily, who can be willingly manipulated. Allowing them to hold their congress would be to strengthen the ranks of the opposition against the government. The government is in a predicament about what stance it should take with regard to the PDI congress. It is likely to be hit whichever way it turns. However, it would be an act of stupidity for the government to repeat its old mistake.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta