14 Ex-generals to join PPP

The United Development Party (PPP), led by Vice President Hamzah Haz, will accord membership on 14 retired generals when it celebrates its 33rd anniversary on Jan. 5, 2002.

It will be only nine days before reform-minded party cadres are expected to announce the establishment of a breakaway party.

"During the party's birthday celebration, we will introduce to the public 14 retired generals who will join PPP," PPP deputy chairman Faisal Baasir told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Among the generals Faisal mentioned were Lt. Gen. (ret.) Yunus Yosfiah, a former field commander in East Timor and minister of information, and Lt. Gen. (ret.) Andi M. Ghalib, a former attorney general.

Last week, a close friend of former head of Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. (ret.) Prabowo Subianto, Farid Prawinegara, said that the PPP had also approached Prabowo.

But Faisal could not confirm Farid's claim, saying that institutionally PPP never approached any general to join the party.

"PPP never approaches certain parties to join, but I do not know if there are any PPP cadres who personally approached him (Prabowo)," Faisal said.

Generals joining political parties have received a skeptical response from critics, who suspect that the former officers had their own agenda.

But Faisal said the PPP had a clear political platform which should be obeyed by all party members, believing that the former generals had skills useful for the development of the party.

They will be appointed as members of the Party Experts Council.

Disgruntled PPP cadres led by noted Muslim preacher Zainuddin M.Z are scheduled to declare PPP Reformasi on Jan. 14. They are unhappy with PPP chairman Hamzah Haz's leadership, which they say is too conservative and dominated by elderly views.