Ismail Hasan's support not as solid as it seems<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): United Development Party (PPP) Chairman Ismail
\nHasan Metareum has not secured his re-election despite
\nendorsement from all 27 provincial chapters.<\/p>\n
Deputy Secretary General Jusuf Syakir said, during a meeting
\nat Ismail Hasan's residence in Jakarta, the endorsement came from
\nchapter functionaries who did not necessarily represent their
\nrespective regions.<\/p>\n
\"Their endorsements cannot be taken as reflecting the official
\nline of their respective chapters,\" Jusuf was quoted as saying by
\nthe Antara news agency yesterday.<\/p>\n
He made the statement to correct the impression created by
\npress reports that Ismail Hasan had secured the support of all
\nthe leaders of the 27 provincial chapters.<\/p>\n
Jusuf, who acknowledged that it was he who organized the
\nmeeting, had been widely criticized by some PPP executives who
\naccused him of engineering the outcome of the election. He
\ndeclined to respond to the accusation.<\/p>\n
The party is slated to elect its chairman at a congress in
\nlate August with the incumbent seen as a strong candidate to
\nretain his post despite facing increasing pressures to make way
\nfor a more populist figure.<\/p>\n
Although there are attempts to unseat him, his opponents
\nwithin the party could not agree on a single candidate.<\/p>\n
Even the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) faction, by far the largest of
\nthe four which make up the party, is divided on which candidate
\nto support.<\/p>\n
The 27 leaders from the party's 27 provinces who requested
\nlast Friday's meeting were either chapter chairmen or their
\ndeputies who owe their positions to Ismail Hasan. Most apparently
\nbelong to the Muslimin Indonesia (MI) faction to which the
\nincumbent also belongs.<\/p>\n
Jusuf said only four chapters have officially stated their
\nsupport for Ismail Hasan's re-election: Jakarta, Irian Jaya,
\nJambi and West Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan, during Friday's meeting, declined to accept the
\nnomination outright, saying the time and place for that should be
\nat the congress. However he stated that he was prepared to accept
\nwhatever task the congress may entrust him with.<\/p>\n
The election's outcome will be largely determined by the
\ncomposition of the participants to the PPP congress. The
\ncongress' organizing committee has not yet determined who will be
\ninvited to attend.<\/p>\n
The 27 provincial chapters, mostly controlled by MI faction,
\nonly represent part of the delegates. The larger delegates will
\ncome from the hundreds of party branch offices at regency level.
\n(emb)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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