Tide of support welling up for Megawati
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)