Hardiyanti denies deflating PPP<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar deputy chairwoman Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana
\nhas denied forming alliance with influential Moslem scholar
\nAbdurrahman Wahid to deflate the minority United Development
\nParty (PPP).<\/p>\n
\"I'm close to (Abdurrahman Wahid) because we're both Moslems
\nwho are supposed to maintain good ties, and any Moslem would do
\nthe same thing,\" she said.<\/p>\n
A statement released by Hardiyanti, more commonly known as
\nTutut, echoed comments Abdurrahman made Monday on whether he had
\nbeen waging a campaign against PPP by inviting Golkar leaders to
\nmeet thousands of members of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem
\norganization which he chairs.<\/p>\n
Hardiyanti delivered a speech in Pandeglang, West Java,
\nTuesday at a ceremony marking the construction of a building for
\nanother Moslem organization, Mathlaul Anwar.<\/p>\n
\"We shouldn't be making mountains out of this question,
\nbecause Golkar, PPP or PDI (the Indonesian Democratic Party) are
\nall national assets. We should remain united,\" Hardiyanti was
\nquoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
She insisted that she had no intention to undermine any
\nparties, and much less, in her position as deputy chairwoman of
\nGolkar, to hold premature campaign electioneering.<\/p>\n
But she conceded that each of the three general election
\ncontestants wished to seek public sympathy now that the May 29
\npolls are drawing near.<\/p>\n
\"It's normal that each of the contestants want to canvass as
\nmany votes as possible. But the efforts to do so have to be
\nconducted within the proper context and should follow the rules
\nof the game,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"Let the public themselves decide because I believe people's
\npolitical awareness has now reached a stage of maturity,\" she
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, whose organization boasts 30 million followers
\nmostly in rural areas, had denied PPP chairman Ismail Hasan
\nMetareum's accusation that his newly-founded closeness with
\nHardiyanti meant he was giving Golkar political aid to penetrate
\nthe Moslem-based party's strongholds.<\/p>\n
Ismail had expressed strong suspicion that Abdurrahman's close
\nrelations with Hardiyanti were likely to reduce PPP votes in the
\nMay 29 general elections, especially in the party's strongholds
\nin Java.<\/p>\n
\"Whether or not he realized it, Abdurrahman has deflated PPP
\nin its election preparations,\" Ismail said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, escorted Tutut to a
\nmeeting with members of the Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization.
\nTheir appearances in public had triggered speculation of new
\npolitical alliances.<\/p>\n
In the past two years, Abdurrahman was thought to have formed
\na political entente with Megawati Soekarnoputri, the ousted chief
\nof the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).<\/p>\n
Twist<\/p>\n
The discussion on whether Abdurrahman and Hardiyanti wished to
\ndeflate PPP took a strange twist after party secretary-general
\nTosari Wijaya released a statement saying that he did not believe
\nit was so.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think that Gus Dur became close to Tutut because they
\nwanted to deflate PPP,\" he was quoted by Antara as saying Tuesday
\nin Medan.<\/p>\n
\"I am taking a different stance on this issue from (Ismail
\nHasan Metareum). I'm not sure that NU members will automatically
\nvote for Golkar because of Gus Dur's activities, because the
\nnahdliyin (NU members) are already politically mature.\"<\/p>\n
Tosari is a member of NU. \"I find it difficult to just abandon
\nPPP,\" he said. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hardiyanti-denies-deflating-ppp-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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