Djafar urged to quit

Djafar urged to quit

JAKARTA (JP): Some 50 supporters of the United Development
Party (PPP) staged a rally in front of the city council building
on Tuesday to demand newly installed party councilor Djafar
Badjeber resign for endorsing gambling in the city.

Displaying banners and posters, the protesters, grouped under
Forum Anak Bangsa (the Forum of the Nation's Children) condemned
Djafar's approval on the proposal to legalize gambling in the
city.

"We demand the council investigate Djafar. He should resign,"
the group's coordinator, Bambang Hardiatma, said.

He said they were dissatisfied with Djafar's earlier statement
that gambling could be tolerated if it added to the city's
revenue.

He said Djafar, who is also PPP chairman of the Jakarta
chapter, had allegedly backed and received money from gamblers.

Djafar denied the allegations, saying that their accusation
was slanderous.

"The protest was piloted by PPP's cadres who were not elected
to the new council," he said.

Djafar, who was installed as city councilor last week, said
PPP had not changed its policy and still rejected gambling
activities in the city.

But he acknowledged that he once suggested that gambling
activities should be localized to a certain place, such as on an
island in Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Islands chain) to avoid an
increase of gambling in the city.

"But, it's just a personal thought I had when I was a member
of the former council's Commission B for economic affairs. It's
not my party's position," he said.

Abdul Aziz Matnur, a member of the Justice Party (PK) and the
youngest in the 1999-2004 council, was also displeased with
Djafar's statement.

"However, it's an internal party problem. We (PK) try not to
interfere with it," Aziz told reporters after seeing the
protesters on Tuesday. (jun)