Alienated PDI Perjuangan anxious over Islamic caucus<\/p>\n
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle warned on Tuesday a
\ngroup of Muslim leaders, who had held a series of informal
\nmeetings, against forging a coalition to unsettle the government.<\/p>\n
The party deputy chairman Roy B.B. Janis said after a regular
\ninternal meeting that the ruling party expressed hope that the
\ninformal clique being proposed by Muslim-based parties would
\nexpand and reach other elements and refrain from challenging the
\ngovernment for the sake of the reform agenda, which remains
\nunfinished.<\/p>\n
\"We hope there would be a synergy from the caucus with the
\ngovernment as well as other elements of the nation. If the
\ngovernment is not supported or becomes hindered in completing the
\nreform agenda, the economic reforms, eradication of corruption,
\ncoalition and nepotism as well as the upholding of law would be
\nfurther stalled,\" Roy said.<\/p>\n
The party chairwoman President Megawati Soekarnoputri was
\nabsent from the meeting as she was in Bali.<\/p>\n
National Mandate Party chairman Amien Rais, who is also the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker, has organized at
\nleast three meetings with Muslim leaders on various issues, which
\nwere aimed at, among other things, building a consensus on their
\nvision for the constitutional amendments. PDI Perjuangan and
\nIndonesian Military\/National Police legislators were excluded
\nfrom the talks.<\/p>\n
The first meeting was hosted by Achmad Tirtosudiro, chairman
\nof the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI), the
\nsecond at the home of Golkar executive Jusuf Kalla and the third
\nat Amien's house. The next meeting is slated to take place at the
\nresidence of United Development Party secretary general Alimarwan
\nHanan and the fifth at the house of National Awakening Party
\nsecretary general Saifullah Yusuf.<\/p>\n
A similar political axis foiled Megawati's presidential bid in
\n1999 despite her party's win in the general elections.<\/p>\n
Despite its repeated attempts to play down the move, PDI
\nPerjuangan held a meeting to form a rival coalition last week
\nhosted by chairman of the party's faction at the MPR, Arifin
\nPanigoro. Rumors have it that the leaders discussed efforts to
\nkeep Megawati in power until 2004.<\/p>\n
Roy said that the meeting at Arifin's residence in South
\nJakarta, was a regular inter-faction dialog ahead of the upcoming
\nMPR Annual Session in August, which will endorse the fourth
\namendment to the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary general Pramono Anung called a
\nmeeting with elements of the group recently and was assured that
\nthe exclusive talks were merely to hash out what legislation
\nwould be passed at the MPR Annual Session.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alienated-pdi-perjuangan-anxious-over-islamic-caucus-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}