PPP to withdraw vocal legislator Sri Bintang<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Central Executive Board of the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) yesterday announced its intention to have
\none of its vocal legislators, Sri Bintang Pamungkas, withdrawn
\nfrom the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Party leaders told reporters that Bintang's persistence in
\nquestioning the validity of the state ideology, Pancasila, and
\nthe 1945 Constitution was viewed as a major transgression against
\nthe official party line, the Antara news agency reported.<\/p>\n
\"For the PPP, the questions of Pancasila and the 1945
\nConstitution have been resolved. But Bintang has continued asking
\nquestions about them in official forums and at seminars,\" said
\nAisyah Amini, a member of both the PPP executive board and the
\nHouse.<\/p>\n
\"We have warned him on many occasions since 1993, but he has
\ncontinued to transgress,\" said Aisyah.<\/p>\n
She and board deputy chairman Zein Badjeber jointly announced
\nthe decision yesterday after a four-hour plenary board meeting.
\nSecretary General Tosari Wijaya was also present at the press
\nbriefing although he spoke little.<\/p>\n
Bintang, an economist by training, has been the PPP's enfant
\nterrible. His outspokenness in the House has increasingly made
\nhim a liability rather than an asset in the eyes of the largely
\nconservative party leaders.<\/p>\n
He was the star of the PPP during the 1992 election campaign,
\nimproving the party's image with young voters, and was duly
\nrewarded with a seat in the House.<\/p>\n
At the PPP's national congress last August, Bintang mounted a
\nchallenge against incumbent chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum in the
\nleadership election, mobilizing his mainly youthful supporters.<\/p>\n
He got into trouble last year when party leaders admonished
\nhim for speaking out against the presence of the military in the
\nHouse. The party was forced to make a statement that Bintang's
\nremarks on the issue reflected his own personal views and not the
\nofficial party position.<\/p>\n
He embarrassed the party again this month when he got into a
\nheated argument with Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad during a
\nHouse hearing.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie was angered by Bintang's accusation that he had
\nthreatened the local press when, he said, he had done no such
\nthing. Bintang remains adamant that a threat was made.<\/p>\n
The incident was immediately reported to PPP chairman Ismail
\nHasan Metareum, who promised a thorough investigation.<\/p>\n
In a press statement made available to The Jakarta Post last
\nnight, Bintang said his dismissal from the House did not surprise
\nhim because he had long sensed that it was coming.<\/p>\n
He said that ever since he joined the PPP he had had different
\nviews from the party and the government on many issues.<\/p>\n
Bintang recalled that during the 1992 election campaign he
\nurged the government to be consistent about the 1945 Constitution
\nand urged the Armed Forces to be neutral.<\/p>\n
\"I have long prepared myself for the worst case of being fired
\nfrom the House,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"There is nothing surprising about being 'recalled' because it
\nis part of the political system.\"<\/p>\n
He said that the political system had made House members from
\nall factions loyal to the political organizations to which they
\nbelong rather than to the people they represent.<\/p>\n
\"I thought the PPP would become more independent. But it is
\nbecoming clear that it is increasingly dependent on the
\nbureaucracy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The move comes in the wake of a move by Golkar, the dominant
\nfaction in the House, to have one of its own legislators, Bambang
\nWarih Koesoemo, dismissed.<\/p>\n
Golkar's request that Bambang be removed was submitted to
\nHouse Speaker Wahono who, in turn, passed it on to President
\nSoeharto, \"with some additional notes.\"<\/p>\n
Zein said the party's board would consult with the House
\nleadership about the proposal to fire Bintang.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the PPP would miss Bintang's presence, Zein
\nreplied sarcastically: \"Yes, we'll miss one member. But we'll
\nsoon find a replacement.\" (emb\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-to-withdraw-vocal-legislator-sri-bintang-1447893297",
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