Dissenters establish federation to save YLBHI
Dissenters establish federation to save YLBHI
JAKARTA (JP): A group of senior members of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) moved to stake a claim on the foundation's leadership yesterday amid threats of punishment by its board of trustees.
Aswab Mahasin, secretary of the board of trustees, told The Jakarta Post that the group's endorsement of the plan to form a federation violated YLBHI's statutes.
"They can be punished," Aswab said by phone. He did not describe what kind of punishment awaited them.
The dissenters organized a meeting yesterday at the YLBHI building on Jl. Diponegoro to stake a claim on the leadership, at least until a more democratic election is held.
The meeting, attended by 22 people, did not name anyone to head the new federation. They said it was formed to prevent YLBHI from disintegrating.
Ironically, Bambang Widjojanto, the experienced 36-year-old lawyer who was appointed by the board of trustees to head YLBHI's executive board, participated in the meeting.
Bambang, who has still not formed his own executive board, declined to comment about his presence or if he had endorsed the federation.
The other participants include Mulyana W. Kusumah, Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan, Amartiwi Saleh, H.J.C. Princen, Hendardi and Rambun Tjayo -- all candidates who lost the election -- and representatives of six regional offices in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Bandar Lampung and Ujungpandang.
Mulyana told a media conference that the dissenters agreed to form the federation and not to recognize Bambang's leadership.
The task of the federation, he said, is to perform YLBHI's day-to-day tasks until a new chairman is elected.
Meanwhile, Kastorius Sinaga, a scholar who wrote a dissertation on the foundation's activities, warned that YLBHI stands to lose some of its funding unless it got its act together.
Kastorius Sinaga said that YLBHI has secured grants of about Rp 8.5 billion (US$3.6 million) from the Holland-based NOVIB and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The grants should last until 1997.
Bambang was elected last Friday by the board of trustees to head the foundation, a post left vacant when Adnan Buyung Nasution resigned last October.
YLBHI, which once prided itself as being a "locomotive of democracy" is now accused of undemocratic practices by its senior staff and supporters for the way it choose its chairman. (imn)