Suherdjoko and Ridwan M. Sijabat, Semarang/Jakarta – Hundreds of members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) Central Java chapter occupied the Panti Marhaenis building in Semarang on Wednesday.

The building has been the office of a splinter group of the PDI-P, the Reformed Democrat Party (PDP), since early 2005.

Supporters of the two opposing groups, which use the same bull head symbol, clashed but no casualties were reported.

One of the PDP's Central Java representatives, Agus Teguh Santoso, said he had received word Tuesday the PDI-P planned to take over the building.

"We were preparing for the PDP's first national working conference from July 30 to Aug. 1, when we heard the building would be taken over at midnight. However, nothing happened," he said.

Instead, more than 200 PDI-P members came to the building at 3:30 a.m. Police officers were guarding the building at the time. The two groups agreed that neither of them would occupy the building. But after the PDP supporters left, the PDI-P supporters stayed behind.

The building was formerly the headquarters of PDI-P's Central Java chapter, under the leadership of Mardijo. However, the office was moved after Mardijo was fired by PDI-P leader Megawati Soekarnoputri because he insisted on running for Central Java governor in the 2004 election.

Mardijo later joined the PDP, which consisted of former PDI-P figures who were not aligned with Megawati. "This building belongs to the Marhaenis Foundation, not the PDI-P. The PDI-P had the privilege of using it, and now it's the PDP's turn," Mardijo said.

In Jakarta, the PDP condemned the building's occupation by the PDI-P. "We regret the uncivilized actions of the political party concerned. We have lodged a complaint with the police and hope justice will be upheld," PDP secretary-general Didik Supriyanto said. Didik said the PDP had begun renting the Marhaenis building in March.

Laksamana Sukardi, a member of the PDP executive committee, said he had told PDP supporters in the province not to attempt to take back the building, to avoid physical clashes.

Laksamana and Didik, along with many others, formed the PDP after failing to bring about the PDI-P's reform at a national congress in Bali in 2005, following the latter's defeat in the 2004 general election.

The deputy chairman of the PDI-P, Tjahyo Kumolo, challenged the PDP to prove its right to the building in court. He said his party had the right to use the building because all members of the Marhaenis Foundation were also PDI-P members and assured the building had not been taken over using physical force.