Ali ready to lead PBB

JAKARTA: Politician Ali Muchtar said on Saturday that he was ready to take up the chairmanship of the Muslim-based party Crescent Star Party (PBB). The party needed young blood in order to spur change within party, said Ali Muchtar, who is also a PBB House legislator, during his visit to Banda Aceh.

Besides Ali, there are several other names that are expected to contest the party's leadership at the party's congress in Surabaya on Feb. 20 and 24. They are Hamdan Zoelva, M.S. Ka'ban, who is currently the Minister of Forestry, Sahar L. Hassan and Anwar Saleh.

If elected, Ali said that he would propose that the Law on Political Parties be amended in order to allow the party to contest the next 2009 general election. If this was not done then the PBB will have to merge with another party in order to secure chance to participate in the next election, said Ali. -- Antara