Ismail Hasan, Matori urged to step down<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A vocal legislator from the United Development
\nParty (PPP) says that party chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum and
\nsecretary general Matori Abdul Djalil should step down and make
\nway for others to run the party.<\/p>\n
Sri Bintang Pamungkas said the two men, who are seen as strong
\ncontenders for the PPP chairmanship election next month, have
\nfailed to turn the party into an organization independent of the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"We've had enough of Ismail Hasan and Matori. They should make
\nway for others to lead the party,\" Bintang told The Jakarta Post
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
He said both men may have succeeded in forging unity in the
\nparty, which has often been torn by internal bickering, but they
\nfailed to make PPP independent.<\/p>\n
As an example of the PPP's lack of independence, he cited the
\npoor response given by party leaders to the government's ban of
\nthree news magazines last month. Then, the party leaders simply
\nstated that they could understand the government move, he
\nrecalled.<\/p>\n
The incumbent Ismail Hasan currently appears to have the upper
\nhand in the run up to the election to be held at the party's
\ncongress slated for the end of August in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He has already secured the support of leaders of many
\nprovincial boards and also, according to some political analysts,
\nthe tacit backing of the government despite official assurances
\nof a hands off policy.<\/p>\n
Matori is counting the support of the Nahdlatul Ulama, by far
\nthe largest of the factions in the party whose leaders have made
\nit known of their intention to wrest the party's leadership.<\/p>\n
Bintang, a newcomer to the PPP who often speaks his mind, said
\nneither Ismail Hasan nor Matori have met the expectation of party
\nmembers to make PPP into a great party, a viable alternative to
\nGolkar, instead of simply playing second fiddle to the ruling
\npolitical group.<\/p>\n
\"During the last five years, PPP has not shown that it has any
\npotential or the fighting spirit,\" he said. \"The party has
\ncontributed nothing to cause of Moslems or the Indonesian people
\nin general. It has contributed nothing to democracy.\"<\/p>\n
More cash<\/p>\n
Bintang has been mentioned by some party insiders as a
\npossible candidate because of his outspokenness, a sharp contrast
\nto the conservative leadership of Ismail Hasan.<\/p>\n
The party is now under pressure to find a more populist leader
\nto match the charisma of Megawati Soekarnoputri who was elected
\nchairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in December.<\/p>\n
Asked about his chances at the PPP election, Bintang said he
\nwas ready to lead the party. \"More and more people have given me
\ntheir support.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the government on Saturday promised that more cash
\nis on the way to help PPP raise the Rp 1.5 billion it needs to
\nthe congress.<\/p>\n
Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono said that the government's
\nassistance would be more than the Rp 10 million already pledged
\nso far.<\/p>\n
\"The government wants to be fair,\" he told reporters after
\nopening a seminar on justice here.<\/p>\n
As a comparison, the government gave PDI around Rp 800 million
\nto stage its congress in Surabaya, East Java last year.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said the government has always helped political
\norganizations and mass organizations in holding their congresses.<\/p>\n
\"We help them all,\" he said. \"We take note to their request,
\nscrutinize how much they need and then we help them. But it does
\nnot mean that we would give the whole amount,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Antara quoted the party's chairman Ismail Hasan
\nMetareum as saying that there was no longer any problem regarding
\nthe funds for the congress because the State Secretariat has
\npledged to lend a hand.<\/p>\n
He said that the funds allocated by the government would be
\nsufficient after the organizers cut down the budget. (11\/par)<\/p>",
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