Long-time allies pull the rug from under Ismail Hasan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The chances Ismail Hasan Metareum will retain
\nhis post as chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) were
\nseverely undermined yesterday when long-time powerful allies
\ndecided to pull the carpet out from under him just three weeks
\nbefore the election.<\/p>\n
Six of the seven influential PPP figures who played a vital
\nrole in his rise to power five years ago decided to withdraw
\ntheir support, saying that he did not have the political will to
\ndevelop the Moslem-based party.<\/p>\n
The \"Group of Eight\" or \"Kodel Group\", of which Ismail Hasan
\nis a member, was set up late in the 1980s to oust the then
\npowerful, government-backed PPP chairman, H.J. Naro.<\/p>\n
The other members are Aisyah Aminy, Husni Thamrin, Mohamad
\nSulaiman, Holil Badawi, Yusuf Sakir, Hartono Mardjono and Faisal
\nBasir. Now, Ismail Hasan can rely only on Aisyah's loyalty.<\/p>\n
The dissident members said they were disappointed by Ismail
\nHasan's lack of openness in party policies and his
\ninconsistencies in implementing the political organization's
\nrules.<\/p>\n
In a letter to Ismail Hasan, Thamrin criticized him for
\nharboring suspicions against fellow party leaders.<\/p>\n
\"From the drafts of the party statutes offered to regional
\nbranches, it is obvious that Ismail Hasan has no political will
\nto develop PPP,\" Thamrin said.<\/p>\n
\"I bid you good bye, may God clear your heart of all
\nsuspicions, hatred and vengeance,\" said Thamrin, a former student
\nactivist, who is well known as an outspoken politician.<\/p>\n
Another dissident, Mohamad Sulaiman, told The Jakarta Post
\nthat he and Ismail Hasan had \"too many differences\" on principle
\nparty policies.<\/p>\n
He said that a major weakness in the current PPP board of
\nexecutives was the poor coordination.<\/p>\n
He said it was embarrassing that Ismail Hasan was competing
\nwith the party's secretary-general, Matori Abdul Djalil, for the
\ntop spot and that both were making such a major issue of
\nfactions. Mohamad Sulaiman added that this was exacerbating and
\ndeepening internal conflicts.<\/p>\n
\"I think both Matori and Ismail Hasan should withdraw from the
\nrace for the sake of PPP's good name,\" he said.<\/p>\n
PPP is a 1973 fusion of four Moslem organizations: NU, MI,
\nPerti and PSII. Ismail Hasan is affiliated with MI, which has
\ndominated the party's leadership since the party was formed 21
\nyears ago. Matori belongs to NU, the largest faction.<\/p>\n
Sulaiman said the six dissidents have not decided on which
\ncandidate they will back.<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan still appears to be the strongest of five
\ncandidates, but he has yet to prove that he is strong enough to
\nendure efforts by regional leaders to upset his re-election bid.<\/p>\n
Rafie Achmad, deputy chairman of the Tangerang PPP branch,
\nyesterday called on other branches not to support Ismail Hasan on
\nthe grounds that his policies have resulted in internal
\nconflicts.<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan has secured support from 22 of the 25 regional
\nbranches in West Java and several more from other provinces. The
\nlatest backing came from his home province of Aceh yesterday.<\/p>\n
The support was announced at the end of a two-day meeting of
\n10 regional branches in the capital city of Banda Aceh on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Aceh chapter of PPP, H.M. Kaoy Syah, said
\nthat the support was lent not because Ismail Hasan hails from
\nAceh, but because he had the qualities that a party leader must
\nhave.<\/p>\n
\"Ismail Hasan has the right blend of ulema, intellectual and
\nidealism; qualities that haven't worn thin since his youth,\" he
\nsaid as quoted by Antara. (pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/long-time-allies-pull-the-rug-from-under-ismail-hasan-1447893297",
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