PPP representatives demand Yogie's apology<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Representatives of the United Development Party
\n(PPP) yesterday demanded Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie
\nS.M. apologize for calling their chairman, Ismail Hasan
\nMetareumm, sakit (sick).<\/p>\n
Muhammad Mansur, a member of the PPP faction in the House of
\nRepresentatives, told reporters that the party felt offended by
\nYogie's remark which was widely published by newspapers
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The PPP faction, he added, is lodging a \"strong protest\" about
\nYogie and he would soon write to the minister demanding an
\napology to alleviate the anger felt by PPP members and
\nsupporters.<\/p>\n
Yogie, according to newspapers' accounts, made the remarks in
\nresponse to Ismal Hasan's statement that the PPP had been
\n\"sidelined\" under the current political system that is heavily
\ndominated by Golkar, the dominant political group.<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan told a meeting with PPP members during the
\nweekend that both minority parties, the PPP and the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI), have seen their roles reduced in the
\ncurrent political system.<\/p>\n
In some regions, both parties are even considered by some as
\nharam (forbidden by religion), he said.<\/p>\n
Yogie, who as the home minister acts as chief supervisor of
\nall three political organizations, denied that the minority
\npolitical parties have been sidelined by the system.<\/p>\n
\"It was only his feeling...Maybe Buya was sick when he said
\nthat,\" the minister reportedly said.<\/p>\n
Buya, a title for a respected religious expert or leader, is
\nthe term often used to refer to Ismail Hasan Metareum.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the PPP Central Executive Board has endorsed its
\nHouse faction's plan to ask the minister to apologize for the
\noffending remark.<\/p>\n
The board's deputy secretary-general, Muchsin Bafadal,
\nlamented at Yogie's response to Ismail Hasan's statement.<\/p>\n
\"The statement by Buya should have been used as material for
\nconsideration and correction. He (Yogie) should not have been
\ninsulting,\" Muchsin said.<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan's response to the minister's remark was more
\ncircumspect.<\/p>\n
In a statement distributed to the press, he said that his
\ncomplaints were based on grievances he heard from PPP's members
\nand cadres in the regions.<\/p>\n
\"They were disappointed at the treatment (by local
\nadministrations) and the policies that did not reflect any common
\nendeavor between the political parties.\"<\/p>\n
He said that since all political parties adopted Pancasila as
\ntheir organizational ideology in 1983, the government should
\naccord equal treatment and attention to Golkar, PPP and PDI.<\/p>\n
Muchsin told reporters that PPP members in the regions faced
\ndiscrimination. As an example, he said members are barred from
\nrunning in local elections for village chief posts. \"This
\ntreatment is tantamount to sidelining the party,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On a separate occasion, senior PDI politician Soerjadi said he
\nfully supported Ismail Hasan's assertion about poor treatment
\ntowards members of minority parties in the regions.<\/p>\n
Soerjadi, a former PDI chairman, said he could not understand
\nYogie's denial because the allegation was true.<\/p>\n
Rather than deny it, the government should contemplate the
\nallegation and make the necessary corrections, he added. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-representatives-demand-yogies-apology-1447893297",
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