Stop condemning ABRI, PPP pleads<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) -- whose
\nrecent opposition to the allocation of unelected seats in the
\nHouse of Representatives for the military was thwarted by Golkar
\nand the Armed Forces' (ABRI) House factions -- called for an end
\nto the condemnation of ABRI.<\/p>\n
PPP chairman Hamzah Haz said in Semarang, Central Java, on
\nSunday that ABRI should be given the opportunity to shift its
\ntraditional position of favoring certain interests to one which
\nsupports the interests of the people.<\/p>\n
Speaking after addressing a party rally, Hamzah said ABRI
\nshould balance its 38 unelected seats in the House by swearing
\nthat it would only exist for the people and democratization.<\/p>\n
"(ABRI) should know when to handle crises and unrest. ABRI
\nmust be solid," he was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
PPP fought against the motion by Golkar, the government and
\nthe Armed Forces' House factions to grant the military unelected
\nseats in the House, citing public sentiment against such a move.<\/p>\n
High-level lobbying among factions forced PPP to agree to a
\ntrade-off; it yielded to the 38 unelected seats (rather than the
\n20 it had demanded) in exchange for a motion promising the
\nneutrality of the bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Hamzah, who is also the state minister for
\ninvestment, said PPP eventually would nominate its own
\npresidential candidate. "For now, we're concentrating our energy
\non the general election ...," he said.<\/p>\n
Also attending PPP's rally on Sunday were several party
\nexecutives, including Maemun Zubair, Alawy Muhammad, Habib Al-
\nIdrus and Nasir Tamara.<\/p>\n
The following is a roundup of the activities of a number of
\npolitical parties over the weekend:<\/p>\n
* Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung in Pamekasan, East Java,
\ndismissed suggestions that the newly formed Justice and
\nUniversity Party (PKP), established by a group of Golkar
\ndissenters, would threaten the existence of Golkar.<\/p>\n
"PKP is not a serious threat to Golkar because PKP is not
\nbased on a clear ideal," he said as quoted by Antara on Sunday.<\/p>\n
"PKP was established in an emotional outburst after (PKP
\nchairman) Edi Sudradjat failed (to beat me in the election to
\nbecome Golkar chairman)," said Akbar, who is also the
\nminister\/state secretary.<\/p>\n
"Had he been elected then PKP wouldn't have been born," he
\nsaid, adding he was not afraid to see Golkar members jump ship to
\nother parties.<\/p>\n
Akbar also said Golkar would do well in the June 7 elections
\nbecause of its record of development for the people over the past
\n30 years.<\/p>\n
Separately, Golkar executive Adi Sasono reiterated in
\nPasuruan, East Java, that he would not campaign for Golkar or any
\nother parties in the election.<\/p>\n
Adi, who is also the minister of cooperatives, stood firm in
\nhis assertion that he would not entangle his position as a
\nminister by campaigning for political parties.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, he said, his campaign to improve the lot of tenant
\nfarmers in the form of farming credits could be tarnished by
\naccusations of "money politics".<\/p>\n
"I will only campaign for the community in general," he said
\nas quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
* Democratic Islam Party chairman Andi Rasjid Djalil said in
\nJakarta on Saturday the next president should be a civilian.
\n"It's just that we haven't decided on the most suitable figure,"
\nhe said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
He described the following people as "unsuitable" for the
\npresidency: Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto; politicians
\nAbdurrahman Wahid, Megawati Soekarnoputri, Amien Rais and Yusril
\nIhza Mahendra; and scholar Nurcholish Madjid. Megawati, he said,
\nwould not be accepted because most Indonesians would reject a
\nwoman president.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Team of Eleven assigned to determine which
\nparties are eligible to contest the polls has only examined 12
\nout of the 102 registered parties as the verification deadline of
\nMarch 2 nears.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, the last day for party registration, 102 parties
\nhad registered at the team's office. At the Ministry of Justice,
\nwhere parties were first required to sign up before registering
\nwith the Team of Eleven, 141 parties had signed up and met the
\nadministrative requirements to register with the team.<\/p>\n
Team members, scattered across various regencies, have only
\nexamined 12 parties so far, Antara reported on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The ruling Golkar Party and the People's Democratic Party
\n(PRD) were among those who registered with the team on Saturday.<\/p>\n
For decades Golkar refused to declare itself a party, gaining
\nbenefit from the membership of millions of civil servants who
\nwere not allowed to join political parties. Under the new law on
\npolitical parties, however, only parties with corporate status
\nare eligible to contest the polls.<\/p>\n
The PRD was the first party set up to challenge the three
\ngovernment-sanctioned parties -- the United Development Party,
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party and Golkar.<\/p>\n
Former abduction victim Faisol Riza, an executive of PRD,
\nregistered the party, Antara reported. (43\/har\/edt\/rms\/31\/swe)<\/p>",
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