Justice Party launches Jakarta chapter in huge rally<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): About 15,000 Moslem youths packed the Senayan
\nSports Hall on Sunday for the launching of the Jakarta chapter of
\nthe Justice Party, declaring readiness to contest the planned
\ngeneral election in May next year.<\/p>\n
The event also marked the simultaneous launching of four other
\nprovincial chapters in Bengkulu, South, East and West Kalimantan,
\nbringing the number of party chapters to 14. This is the minimum
\namount required for a party to qualify for the polls, according
\nto the draft law on general elections still pending deliberation
\nby the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Chapter chairman Ahmad Heriawan, who was installed by party
\npresident Nurmahmudi Ismail, said it aimed to be among the top
\nfive vote-gaining parties in Jakarta in the election.<\/p>\n
\"We're confident ... because we enjoy the support of students,
\nprofessionals and young intellectuals,\" he said. \"Workers,
\ntraders, teachers, civil servants and preachers are our
\nconstituents.\"<\/p>\n
Nurmahmudi, a civil servant and senior researcher at the state
\nAgency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT),
\ndownplayed the concern of military officials that mobilization of
\nstudents and youths would lead to unrest, saying the party would
\nnot be stirred by disruptive political maneuvers of others.<\/p>\n
\"We will not be provoked by campaigns to topple (President
\nB.J.) Habibie's government, which is already a transitional
\ngovernment (anyway),\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Justice Party also champions the abolition of a decree
\nthat forces all social and political organizations to embrace
\nPancasila as their sole ideology.<\/p>\n
\"We reject the imposition of Pancasila as the sole ideology
\nfor all organizations... because (it backfires and) creates
\napathy and diminishes patriotism,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"This does not mean we seek to undermine the state. We believe
\nin Pancasila and the Constitution as the basis for national
\nunity.<\/p>\n
\"Our struggle against the imposition of Pancasila as the state
\nideology is in fact a call on other groups -- be they Christians,
\nCatholics, Hindus, Buddhist -- to participate and develop
\nIndonesia from their own parties.\"<\/p>\n
Separately, the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity In Diversity)
\nparty inaugurated its Jakarta's chapter on Sunday in a ceremony
\nat the Gedung Joang building in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The party's chairman Nurdin Purnomo, who led the launching,
\ninstalled Daniel Abbas Purwasabda as chairman for the Jakarta
\nchapter.<\/p>\n
In his speech, Nurdin vowed to lead his party to win the 1999
\ngeneral election even though it would not be an easy task, Antara
\nreported. (swe\/bsr)<\/p>",
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