Niken Widya Yunita, Jakarta – The position of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction, which has persisted in opposing negotiations between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), has received a cool response from the government.

The party lead by former President Megawati Sukarnoputri, will not be ‘persuaded’ to support the negotiations in the lead up to the August 9 consultation meeting with People’s Representative Assembly (DPR).

“[They] won’t be lobbied”, said the Coordinating Minister of Politics, Legal and Security Affairs, Widodo AS, on Thursday August 4 at the offices of the president on Jalan Veteran in Central Jakarta.

According to Widodo, during the consultation forum the government will explain the policies which were worked through during the informal meetings in Helsinki. “The main orientation is this policy is to seek a peaceful and permanent solution [to the conflict] in Aceh. We hope it will be the best solution”, said Widodo.

The PDI-P faction in the DPR is continuing to oppose the agreement between the Indonesian government and GAM in Helsinki because the Aceh question is a domestic issue.The party with the symbol of the fat bull also expressed its regret over the government’s position, which has remained silent in the face of the arrival of foreign monitors from the European Union and the Association of South East Asian Nations in Aceh. (aan)

[Translated by Risna.]