T

he country’s biggest opposition political party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), is set to kick off a nationwide movement to protest against the government’s plan to increase subsidized-fuel prices on April 1.

The party’s central executive board has distributed a circular to all of its offices, down to district level, ordering a step up in resistance against the hike, PDI-P secretary-general Tjahjo Kumolo said
on Saturday.

  “We have ordered all PDI-P lawmakers and local councilors to distribute messages about the protest to their constituencies. For example, by using banners and posters,” Tjahjo said.

Lawmakers were also told to use the upcoming recess period to meet with their constituents and raise awareness about the party’s stance against the price hike.

 “All party structures, including wing organizations, across the country have also been instructed to conduct peaceful rallies in order to deliver the message about our political stance on the fuel-price policy, including the reasons for our stance to reject it to local leaders and the heads of regional councils,” he added.

“We always believe there are numerous possible options besides increasing the fuel price, which will burden the poor and increase unemployment.”

The PDI-P’s firm stance was decided after party chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri held a meeting with all PDI-P lawmakers on Tuesday.

In the forum, economist and former coordinating economic minister Kwik Kian Gie also presented his analysis to the politicians.

Megawati claimed the political decision to reject the fuel-price hike was made after party economists conducted three months of research on the issue.

“What the government is supposed to do is to make sure the fuel subsidy is only given to the poor,” Megawati said.

The government has faced growing opposition against its plan to make an early-revision to the 2012 state budget to accommodate its plan to increase the subsidized-fuel price by Rp 1,500 (16 US cents) per liter to Rp 6,000.

The government has argued that the plan was inevitable, given heightened tensions in the Middle East that has resulted in soaring global oil prices.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with the leaders of six government-coalition parties on Wednesday in a bid to keep the union intact to support the unpopular decision to increase fuel prices.

Yudhoyono, however, failed to convince three coalition partners: the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN). The leaders of those parties claimed they had yet to confirm their stance the plan.

The government and the House of Representatives are currently deliberating the revision of the state budget, which the government hopes can accommodate the fuel price hike.

Should the two sides fail to reach a consensus, the deliberations might end with a show of hands.

The PDI-P has 94 lawmakers in the House, or 17 percent of the 560 seats. The PKS has 57 seats (10 percent), the PAN has 46 (8 percent) and the PPP has 37 (7 percent).

Two other opposition parties, the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party and the People’s Conscience (Hanura) Party, respectively hold 26 (5 percent) and 17 (3 percent) seats.

 President Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party has 148 seats, or 26 percent.