Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The main opposition party will convene a key national meeting next week to put a stop to a spate of defections among its 5,000 regional officials, including governors, mayors, district heads and legislators, a party leader announced on Friday.
Puan Maharani, a senior member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and chairwoman of the meeting's organizing committee, said the event would take place in Bogor next Wednesday and Thursday.
Puan, who is the eldest daughter of party chairwoman and former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, said it was important to address the issue of party loyalty amid real and potential threats.
"That's why we've invited all national and local legislators from the PDI-P, as well regional party branch heads and regional administration heads backed by the party," she said.
The meeting follows on a series of high-level defections by PDI-P-backed regional heads who have joined other parties.
Some of the high-profile ones include Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi, who previously served as West Sumatra governor on the PDI-P's platform, and North Sulawesi Governor Sinyo Harry Sarundajang, who was recently appointed to the ruling Democratic Party's advisory board.
Puan said that technically, such officials were not required to become PDI-P members.
"However, what's at issue here is their sense of political ethics, whether they're loyal to their constituents," she said. "This issue will receive special focus at the meeting."
Bambang Wuryanto, secretary of the PDI-P at the House of Representatives, said it was unlikely the party would require future regional head candidates to become members. "That kind of commitment is a matter of ideology and habit, and we can't force that on anyone," he said.
The PDI-P has also raised concerns about the political ambitions of the National Democrats social organization.
On Monday, Eriko Sotarduga, a PDI-P deputy secretary general, said the party had notified all its members to dissociate themselves from the nascent group, founded by media mogul and former Golkar Party heavyweight Surya Paloh.
Golkar, reportedly concerned over the potential share of voters it would hemorrhage to the new group, has already warned its own members to distance themselves from it.
Meanwhile, Puan said next week's meeting would also try to boost coordination efforts among PDI-P members occupying high public positions, as well discuss current issues and the party's response to them. "We want to synergize our various work programs in line with the party's principles," she said.
Another PDI-P deputy secretary general, Hasto Kristianto, said the meeting would discuss alternatives to current government policies on key issues, which the party deems inadequate.