Jakarta – The Supreme Court has dismissed a case filed by opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri against the government over her 1996 ouster as head of the Indonesian Democracy Party (PDI), court officials said Wednesday.

Judge I Gede Ketut Sukarata of the Central Jakarta district court on Wednesday read out a summary of the Supreme Court decision which ruled the court had no authority to judge the case. "This is a final decision," Sukarata said.

The ruling dated Tuesday upheld a lower court decision which had thrown out the case against three government officials and three PDI officials whom Megawati accused of illegally ousting her from the party's leadership in June 1996. The lawsuit filed in August 1996 named then home affairs minister Yogi Suardi Memed, former armed forces chief general Feisal Tanjung and the then national police chief, Lieutenant General Dibyo Widodo.

Suryadi, who was appointed to replace Megawati at the helm of the party was also named in the case as well as Fatimah Achmad and Buttu Hutapea, two of the main leaders of the rival PDI faction which had ousted her.

The Central Jakarta district court had initially dismissed the case saying it had no authority to judge "the internal affairs" of a party. The Megawati camp then appealed that decision which was overturned by a higher court. But the six defendants including Suryadi took the case to the Supreme Court which on Tuesday ruled on their behalf.