For reasons not yet clear, East Java's governor Basofi Sudirman is having difficulties carrying out his assignment to crack the PDI in his province. The normal strategy to weaken an organization showing signs of restiveness within Indonesia's restrictive corporatist system is to foment unrest in the provinces of the organization, and then offer to mediate by suggesting a 'third party'.
The provincial government has been openly backing a rival East Java provincial board run by Latief Pudjosakti, which opposes the provincial board run by Sutjipto appointed by the central board of Megawati. Two weeks ago Basofi Sudirman quoted President Suharto has having said that the PDI in East Java 'had a problem', and that those PDI members involved ought to open their eyes and hearts to a solution.
Though some doubted openly that the President would have said such a thing, a number of others have joined in stepping up the pressure on Megawati. A number of intellectuals, among them Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin, Amir Santosa, Afan Gaffar, and Riswandha Imawan, appeared on a common platform and strongly aired the view that the PDI needed a 'third party' to resolve the stand-off. A couple of days later former Interior Minister Rudini, who often gives the current Interior Minister advice in public, spoke of the need to make sacrifices and called for the cancellation of Sutjipto's appointment letter in favour of a 'third party'.
Two days later again, police security intelligence chief for East Java Col (Pol) Syarifuddin Wani said both rival provincial PDI boards had had their activities 'frozen'. The order won the immediate approval of Governor Basofi Sudirman and of Latief Pudjosakti, but not of Megawati, who told Sutjipto to carry on regardless. Basofi said that if he was going to use his 'power', which he said he would not, he would appoint Latief to the PDI provincial chair. Strangely enough, newspapers on 22/2 reported a strong denial from the national police headquarters that PDI activities in East Java had been 'frozen'.
Megawati, meanwhile, has appeared on platforms with others such as Gus Dur and Sri Bintang Pamungkas now widely regarded as the figureheads of a broad opposition alliance. Gus Dur of NU often links the troubles created for NU and PDI (by 'political clowns') as unconstitutional things best ignored. PDI is also participating with the Legal Aid Institute LBH in a committee that will supervise the 1997 election. The announcement of the committee was widely welcomed by non-government figures, but was rejected by Golkar, Interior Ministry, and Abri spokespersons as unnecessary and possibly unconstitutional.
Whilst these developments could be interpreted to mean that the government is finally moving in for the kill on Megawati, they also demonstrate a significant degree of hesitation on the government's part. With the election only a year away, and preparatory deadlines coming up soon, some senior government officials are showing their fears that the show will not run smoothly if PDI refuses its willing cooperation. More than has been generally admitted by foreign observers, the Indonesian political system has depended on the voluntary participation of significant elites, some of whom are now baulking. Another possible reason for the government's hesitation, about which little is known under current conditions, is continuing disunity in high levels of the government.
(Sources: Republika 13, 16 & 17/2/96, Surabaya Post 15 & 18/2/96, Media Indonesia 17, 19 & 22/2/96)
Gerry van Klinken, editor, 'Inside
Indonesia' magazine.
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