Tension mounts as major PPP congress nears<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Three books on the United Development Party
\n(PPP) were published separately on the eve of the party's major
\ncongress, as the various competing factions and individuals
\nstayed locked in psychological warfare to try and influence the
\noutcome of the gathering.<\/p>\n
Tension started mounting as the congress participants began to
\narrive, yesterday, to occupy the huge Haj Dormitory in Pondok
\nGede, East Jakarta, which will be the main venue of the meeting.
\nMost the delegates will be arriving today and tomorrow.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto is scheduled to deliver his keynote address
\nto the congress of the PPP, Indonesia's second largest political
\nparty after Golkar.<\/p>\n
The party is the result of a 1973 fusion of four Islamic
\nparties -- Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muslimin Indonesia (MI), Sarekat
\nIslam (SI) and Perti. The four have retained their existence as
\nmass organizations and are considered factions within the party.<\/p>\n
The main agenda of the meeting is the election of the party's
\nchairman, a crucial issue which many party insiders say could
\nmake or break the party's future.<\/p>\n
Many believe that PPP's chances in the 1997 general election
\nare threatened by the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), under
\nthe popular leadership of Megawati Soekarnoputri, which is
\nlooking more and more likely to sneak into second place and knock
\nthe PPP back. Golkar, now under the chairmanship of Harmoko, has
\nalso vowed to increase its shares of the vote in 1997.<\/p>\n
Book launching<\/p>\n
Sri Bintang Pamungkas, a vocal PPP legislator and one of the
\nchairmanship aspirants, launched his book Demokrasi Ekonomi Dan
\nPembangunan (Economic Democracy and Development) last night which
\ncontains his thoughts about the party's future.<\/p>\n
The Forum Komunikasi Nahdlatul Ummah Nusantara (Forum Konun),
\na newly formed group within the PPP, also launched a book on
\nFriday, to present an alternative approach to the party's
\nstrategy for the upcoming election.<\/p>\n
The forum is considered to be a support group of incumbent
\nchairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, the leading candidate in the
\nelection race at the PPP congress next week.<\/p>\n
Mohammad Rodja of the party's Jakarta chapter also launched a
\nbook entitled PPP Problema dan Prospek (PPP's Problems and
\nProspects), to give congress participants something to ponder.<\/p>\n
Bintang is campaigning on a reformist platform. Considered a
\ndark horse and an outsider, Bintang says he has the support of
\nthe party's young supporters.<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan has the support of the majority of the party's
\nprovincial and regency level branches whose leaders will be
\ntaking part in the congress and hold the key to the election
\noutcome.<\/p>\n
In the run up to the congress, the factions in the party are
\nalso locked in an intense power struggle. Each one has already
\ndrafted their proposals for the line up of the seven members of
\nthe "formatters", the board which will deliberate and appoint the
\nchairman and the other members of the executive board.<\/p>\n
The real contest is between NU, by far the largest of the four
\nfactions, and the MI, which has always dominated the party's
\nleadership thanks largely to the support of the government.
\nIsmail Hasan also hails from MI.<\/p>\n
This time, NU is determined to wrest the chairmanship from MI,
\nand is further encouraged by the government's promise that it
\nwill stay out of the chairmanship race.<\/p>\n
NU's chief candidate is Matori Abdul Djalil, the current PPP
\nsecretary general, who in the last two weeks have distanced
\nhimself from Ismail Hasan's leadership which he considered a
\nfailure.<\/p>\n
Other possible candidates for the race Hamzah Haz, Yusuf
\nHasyim, Karmani, Cholil Badawi, Hartono Mardjono, Husnie Thamrin,
\nYudo Paripurno and H.M Dault. (par\/swe)<\/p>",
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