PPP proposes more seats for scholars<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Moslem-oriented United Development Party
\n(PPP) wants more scholars to represent it in the House of
\nRepresentatives next year.<\/p>\n
Party chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said yesterday he was
\ntrying to include \"as many as scholars possible\" in the party's
\nlist of candidates for the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Like Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party, which will
\ncontest next year's election, the PPP has been listing the
\ncandidates it will propose to the government.<\/p>\n
\"We are still waiting for input from party branches,\" he told
\nreporters at the PPP's headquarters in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
All three political organizations are required to submit their
\npreliminary lists of legislators to the Indonesian Elections
\nCommittee by Sept. 17, 1996.<\/p>\n
Ismail said that a number of Moslem scholars have been
\nmentioned in the party's preliminary meetings, including the
\nvocal legislator Ahmad Muflih Saefuddin and Matori Abdul Djalil.<\/p>\n
Asked about the growing criticism of Matori's performance,
\nIsmail said that Matori was a \"good PPP legislator.\"<\/p>\n
Ismail, however, declined to comment on the PPP leader in the
\nHouse of Representatives', Hamzah Haz, proposal to ban Matori
\nfrom speaking publicly outside the House.<\/p>\n
\"You should raise that question with the PPP faction,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Matori, known to be an arch rival of Ismail, was one of the
\n\"July 1 statement\" signatories who expressed concern over rising
\npolitical violence and the repression of democracy.<\/p>\n
The petitioners called on the government and the public to
\nuphold the law and return to the national ideology laid down by
\nIndonesia's founding fathers.<\/p>\n
Ismail also denied reports that the PPP would put the
\ncontroversial politician Sri Bintang Pamungkas on its preliminary
\nlist, saying that Bintang's name has never been raised.<\/p>\n
Bintang quit the PPP a few days before he declared the
\nestablishment of his own political party, the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Union Party, on May 29.<\/p>\n
Bintang was removed from the House in May last year after the
\nparty decided his harsh criticism of the government and the
\nmilitary were too much of a liability. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-proposes-more-seats-for-scholars-1447893297",
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