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)