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)