Third camp contests PDI E. Java board
Third camp contests PDI E. Java board
SURABAYA (JP): A third group has staked its claim to lead the
East Java regional executive board of the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI), which has been the subject of fierce rivalry between
two rival camps.
The emergence of the new group has further dashed hopes of a
an early resolution, something which the PDI desperately needs to
prepare itself for the 1997 general election. East Java is the
largest of Indonesia's 27 provinces.
The new camp, which is lead by little known Taufik Achwan,
said it recognizes neither the leadership of Sutjipto nor Latief
Pudjosakti, the two men who are locked in the battle to lead the
East Java board.
Sutjipto has the support of PDI chairperson Megawati
Sukarnoputri while Latief has the backing of the East Java
provincial administration.
Taufik, claiming to have the supports of PDI branches in
several regencies in East Java, said the only way to break out of
the current impasse is to compromise, giving the chairmanship to
neither Latief or Sutjipto, but to a third person.
He did not say whether he would be this ideal third person
although he indicated that his camp was prepared to take the
seat.
Taufik and his supporters visited the PDI headquarters in
Jakarta on Monday, filing a petition demanding a extraordinary
congress to settle the matter once and for all.
Taufik's request to personally meet Megawati was turned down.
Instead, he was met by Ismunandar, a member of the central
executive board, who promised the delegates to raise their point
during the next board meeting.
Sophan Sophiaan, another PDI board member, yesterday denied
Taufik's claim that the third camp had the support of the central
executive board. "They came here to express their concern and
give us their ideas on solving the rift," he told The Post in
Jakarta.
Sophan is still insisting that the problem with the East Java
branch was the intervention of the provincial administration.
He pointed out that the policy of East Java provincial
administration runs counter to the Ministry of Home Affairs's
policy of recognizing the leadership of Megawati and all the
boards under her.
The government last month warned the PDI that unless the East
Java board leadership was settled soon, the party's seats in the
local election committees would be vacated.
Sophan said that as far as the PDI central board was
concerned, the PDI seats in all East Java election committees
would be filled by people nominated by Sutjipto. (15/imn)