Hamzah, Zainuddin agree to avoid dispute<\/p>\n
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Pare-Pare, South Sulawesi<\/p>\n
Vice President Hamzah Haz, leader of the Muslim-based United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and Zainuddin MZ, head of PPP's splinter
\ncamp -- PPP Reform -- have agreed not to condemn each other in
\norder to avoid conflict at the grassroots level.<\/p>\n
The two camps have agreed, in principle, to share the same
\npolitical stance, namely developing more political unity among
\nIslamic parties.<\/p>\n
Hamzah disclosed the agreement to reporters after opening a
\nworking meeting of PPP's branch office in South Sulawesi on
\nSaturday. The working meeting coincided with the party's 29th
\nanniversary.<\/p>\n
\"Last night, I met Pak Zainuddin,\" he said, adding the meeting
\nwas a good start for reconciliation between the two conflicting
\ncamps.<\/p>\n
The meeting reportedly caused controversy among PPP Reform
\nmembers following strong rumors that Zainuddin had accepted
\nHamzah's request to return to PPP, an accusation that was firmly
\ndenied by PPP Reform members.<\/p>\n
At the meeting, Hamzah said he urged the country's popular
\nMuslim preacher and his colleagues, who split from PPP, to return
\nto the political party.<\/p>\n
Zainuddin is famous for his religious speeches on TV shows and
\nat huge gatherings nationwide.<\/p>\n
The two camps, Hamzah said, had agreed to place Islamic
\ninterests as a common priority beyond their party interests, and
\nreiterated their commitment to stop conflict within PPP.<\/p>\n
Zainuddin, according to Hamzah, had even pledged to change the
\nname of his PPP Reform party to the \"Reform Party\". Under this
\nagreement, Hamzah believed that members of the two parties would
\nno longer belittle each other.<\/p>\n
At the meeting, Zainuddin vowed not to oppose PPP in
\nthe political arena because PPP Reform was founded along the same
\nlines as, and was part of, PPP's big family, Hamzah said.<\/p>\n
\"If we are still unable to consolidate PPP, PPP Reform will
\npolitically not oppose PPP,\" Hamzah quoted Zainuddin as saying.<\/p>\n
Former Jakarta chapter PPP chairman Djafar Badjeber was one of
\na number of leading PPP officials to join PPP Reform.<\/p>\n
The establishment of PPP Reform, declared on Jan. 20 this
\nyear, is believed to have been based on the disappointment of
\nseveral PPP executives, especially younger members, due to the
\npostponement of the party's congress from 2003 to 2004.<\/p>\n
Hamzah said that he would not run for the chairmanship in
\n2004.<\/p>\n
The postponement was feared to hamper their political careers.
\nFor example, after a party congress the chairman of PPP's Jakarta
\nchapter would usually be promoted to the party's central board
\nand be appointed a member of the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
PPP finished third in the 1999 elections with 58 seats at the
\nHouse, behind the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, which
\nhas 153 seats and Golkar with 120 seats.<\/p>\n
Hamzah has repeatedly denied that PPP Reform emerged following
\na split within PPP.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hamzah-zainuddin-agree-to-avoid-dispute-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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