Tide of support welling up for Megawati

JAKARTA (JP): A tide of support is rising for the embattled chief of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), Megawati Soekarnoputri, as her rivals continue to plan their rebel congress and leadership election.

Deputy secretary-general of the PDI central board Haryanto Taslam, a Megawati loyalist, said yesterday that over 70 party branches had sent letters endorsing Megawati's leadership and rejecting the planned election.

"The dissenters' claim that 215 of the 306 PDI branches would send delegates to their congress is a big lie," Haryanto told a press conference at the party's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta. He displayed a bundle of letters which he said came from the Chairpersons of PDI branches.

Haryanto said earlier that most PDI branches in 21 of Indonesia's 27 provinces had sent messages of support for Megawati and opposition against the planned congress.

The government's position on the rebel congress, which is being lead by PDI member Fatimah Achmad, appears to be changing. After repeated statements by officials endorsing the congress, a more cautious tone has emerged.

Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman on Thursday called on both Megawati's and Fatimah's camps to reconcile their differences.

Earlier, Soesilo said the dissenters could gather "as long as it's in accordance with the statutes".

In Medan, North Sumatra, Chief of the Bukit Barisan regional military command Maj. Gen. Sedaryanto said yesterday that the proposed venue at the Pangkalan Mansyur Haj Dormitory was "technically ready" for the congress.

"There has been no problem so far. The Armed Forces and the police are ready to safeguard the congress," Sedaryanto said while inspecting security equipment at the dormitory.

He did not say how many men he would deploy at the venue, saying they would conduct a final security evaluation a few days before the congress opens on June 20.

Congress organizer in Medan Panangian Siregar expressed optimism that the congress would proceed smoothly. He said it would be attended by PDI representatives from 27 chapters and 306 smaller branches.

A congress organizer in Jakarta, Ismunandar, said yesterday the committee had mobilized 1,000 supporters to secure the congress.

Untung Sutomo, also a member of the organizing committee, said yesterday that some 800 delegates would attend the congress.

Megawati's deputy Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno maintained the party would not tolerate the congress, and criticized the government for endorsing the dissenters's move.

"This nation's integrity is threatened if the government lets them go ahead with the congress," he told activists of 30 non- governmental organizations (NGOs) who marched to the House of Representatives (DPR) to show support for Megawati.

The delegation, led by chairman of the independent Indonesian Prosperous Workers Union (SBSI) Muchtar Pakpahan, told a number of PDI legislators that they too rejected the planned congress.

"If the congress committee goes ahead with their plans, we will take serious actions against them," Pakpahan said, but he declined to elaborate.

Soetardjo said the rift in the party cannot be considered an internal affair any longer. "It's now the problem of the nation," he said.

In Semarang, Central Java, some 60 students took to the streets protesting the government's stance on the matter. Waving posters and banners, the students stated their support for Megawati.

"We love Megawati," they yelled.

Separately, some 60 Central Java PDI cadres could not leave Semarang for Jakarta to show their support for Megawati, because police stopped the bus for failing to have an intercity permit. (imn/har/bsr/aris)