Yogyakarta PDI chapter deserts Soerjadi camp
Yogyakarta PDI chapter deserts Soerjadi camp
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Soerjadi, the government-backed chairman of
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), effectively lost all
support in Yogyakarta yesterday as branch members jumped ship and
said they would now support Megawati Soekarnoputri.
D. Mugiyono, chairman of the PDI branch in Yogyakarta,
announced that he and 14 other leading members had resigned, thus
effectively wiping out Soerjadi's support here.
He said they would throw their support behind Megawati.
"For the sake of national unity in facing the future and for
PDI's brighter future, we resign from Soerjadi's leadership," a
statement signed by chairman D. Mugiyono said.
Separately, Parjiono, a pro-Soerjadi man who led the PDI
faction in the provincial legislature, also tendered his
resignation.
"My decision to resign was made in accordance with the
chapter's organizational policy and it was also my response to
the aspirations of PDI members," he said.
Soerjadi ousted Megawati from the PDI leadership in a
government-backed congress in Medan in 1996.
Staunch Megawati supporters in Yogyakarta gleefully celebrated
the news and immediately took over the PDI office which had been
used by Soerjadi's supporters.
"From today onward, June 17, 1998, this building has become
the property of PDI members who are loyal to Ibu Megawati,"
Nuryadi, who headed the takeover, said.
The chairman of the PDI faction loyal to Megawati, TH
Sumardjono, was hopeful that the peaceful takeover of the party's
branch office yesterday would be followed by similar action
across the country.
"We've done it without coercion and violence. Anyway, the
majority of PDI supporters are Megawati's supporters, not
Soerjadi's," he said.
On Monday Megawati supporters peacefully took over the PDI
office in Medan.
In a related development yesterday, thousands of Megawati
supporters took to the streets of Semarang, Central Java, for a
public show of force.
Clad in predominantly red, carrying flags, posters and banners
bearing Megawati's face and that of her late father, the
country's first president Sukarno, they marched peacefully around
the city.
They had initially assembled at a local hall to hear Megawati
who was due to address them but had to abruptly cancel. No
specific reason was given for the cancellation.
After several hours of parading round the city they dispersed
peacefully. (23/har)