Well-known legal expert joins PDI

AMBON, Maluku: Outspoken legal expert Sahetapy will campaign for the minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in the upcoming 1997 election, a local party official said yesterday.

Sam Leatemia, a well-known Jakarta-based youth activist from Maluku -- has also announced he will also join the Christian- nationalist party and take part in the 1997 electioneering.

"They will be campaigning for the PDI in Maluku prior to the 1997 election," chief of the Maluku branch of the PDI, John Mailoa, told Antara.

Both Leatemia and Sahetapy, who is a professor of law at Surabaya's Airlangga University, made their commitment during a visit to Ambon earlier this month, Mailoa said.

"They will campaign for the PDI on their own expense," Mailoa said.

Sahetapy came to prominence through his critical comments on the trials held in relation to the murder of labor activist Marsinah in 1993. (pan)