Amien Rais gives PPP cold shoulder<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Moslem leader Amien Rais has backtracked on an
\nearlier statement and now says he will not join the Moslem-based
\nUnited Development Party (PPP) after all.<\/p>\n
Amien, chairman of the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah, also
\nsaid in a televised interview yesterday he would continue with
\nyet another plan to establish his own political party. This
\nparticular party, originally called People's Mandate Party, will
\nbe called National Mandate Party and will be formally declared on
\nAug. 23.<\/p>\n
\"I don't want to be seen as someone who easily jumps from one
\nplace to another,\" he said, adding that among his reasons for
\nabandoning the PPP was friction in the party caused by groups
\nthat he said were busy furthering their own interests.<\/p>\n
Amien did not name the groups but PPP was a fusion of Moslem-
\nbased parties in 1983 and internal competition often emerged.<\/p>\n
Amien was reported to have accepted an offer from some PPP
\nexecutives, including chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, to join the
\nparty as chairman of its council of experts.<\/p>\n
Despite the pros and cons, Ismail himself had also confirmed
\nthe party executives' wish to embrace Amien, who has been known
\nin recent years to be an outspoken government critic. Later,
\nIsmail did not specify the post for Amien as expert council
\nchairman, but as the \"leader\" of PPP.<\/p>\n
Only hours earlier yesterday, Ismail told reporters he was
\nconfident that Amien would \"be elected to lead PPP in the next
\ncongress\" rather than set up his own party.<\/p>\n
\"He has a good chance and there would not be any
\nadministrative problem with his nomination. We have prepared
\neverything,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ismail said Amien's presence would \"infuse\" the PPP with
\n\"fresh blood\" and would lure other public figures. He said he was
\nconfident Amien would boost PPP votes in the next general
\nelection. (prb\/swe)<\/p>",
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