The government's PDI dilemma

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