PPP told to accelerate its national congress<\/p>\n
Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Members of the United Development Party (PPP) from half of the
\nparty's provincial branches across the country reiterated their
\ndemand on Tuesday that the party's central executive board bring
\nforward the timing of its national congress (Muktamar) to precede
\nthe 2004 general election.<\/p>\n
Through the \"Declaration of Yogyakarta\" signed by 30 party
\nmembers at a one-day meeting in Yogyakarta on Monday, they also
\nurged the central executive board to hold a national meeting
\n(Mukernas) to legalize the decision to speed up the party's
\nnational congress.<\/p>\n
\"The central executive board has no choice but to agree with
\nthe acceleration of the national congress, otherwise the party
\nwill suffer significant losses as some party branches plan to set
\nup a new party called 'PPP Reformasi',\" the spokesperson for the
\nmeeting, Ahmad Subagyo of the Yogyakarta branch, told a press
\nconference on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The press conference was also attended by the head of the PPP
\nYogyakarta branch Fauzi A.R. and his secretaries Muslih Ilyas and
\nHerman Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Subagyo said that the national meeting must be held in January
\nnext year.<\/p>\n
The one-day meeting, labeled an Islah (reconciliation), was
\nheld at the Ambarukmo Hotel on Monday with the aim of resolving
\nan internal conflict between executives who are demanding an
\nacceleration of the timing of the party's national congress to
\n2002 or 2003 and others who want to maintain the extension of the
\ncurrent leadership under Hamzah Haz until after the 2004 general
\nelection.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta, Central Java, Southeast Sulawesi and Irian Jaya
\nbranches of the party are among those most staunchly opposed to
\nthe extension of Hamzah's leadership.<\/p>\n
The decision to extend Hamzah's leadership was taken during
\nthe party's national meeting early this year, annulling
\nthe party's earlier decision recommending the acceleration of the
\nparty's national congress. Hamzah was elected PPP chairman at the
\nparty's 4th national congress in 1998. His five-year-term should
\nend in 2003.<\/p>\n
Subagyo said that all of the party's central executive
\nboard members, including Hamzah, were invited to the meeting but
\nonly Husni Thamrin attended.<\/p>\n
Fauzi said Hamzah's election as Vice President was another
\nfactor that had sparked the demand to accelerate the national
\ncongress, as it was feared Hamzah could no longer concentrate on
\nparty affairs.<\/p>\n
He said that the Declaration of Yogyakarta also recommended an
\nenactment of an internal regulation on members of the executive
\nboard who held high-ranking positions in government, such as
\npresidential and vice presidential posts as well as ministerial
\nposts.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-told-to-accelerate-its-national-congress-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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