Hamzah appeals to Zainudin to reconcile
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
United Development Party (PPP) chairman Hamzah Haz has appealed to a splinter group led by noted cleric Zainuddin MZ to reunite and strengthen the Muslim-based political party.
However he made no mention of the splinter group's demand that the party's congress be held in 2003 as originally planned, instead of 2004 as already decided by Hamzah's supporters on the central board.
Hamzah, who is also vice president, said that his faction enjoyed more support than Zainuddin's United Development Party of Reform (PPP Reformasi).
"I hope fellow politicians in PPP Reformasi will reunite with the PPP," Hamzah told nearly 40,000 supporters during the party's 29th anniversary celebrations organized by PPP Jakarta Chapter at the Bung Karno sports stadium here on Sunday.
He emphasized that the party he chaired was the original PPP resulting from the fusion of four Islamic parties on Jan. 5, 1973. Namely, Nahdlatul Ulama, the Indonesian Muslim Party (Parmusi), the Indonesian Islamic Syariah Party (PSII) and the Islamic Party (PERTI).
Hamzah added his party would always follow the ideas and goals of the Muslim ulemas.
"We want fellow politicians in PPP Reformasi to return and to preserve ukhuwah Islamiyah (Muslim brotherhood)," he said.
Noted Muslim cleric Zainuddin, a former PPP leader, declared the foundation of PPP Reformasi last Jan. 21 after demands to hold the party's congress in 2003 were ignored by Hamzah and his die-hard supporters who wanted to cling to power till the general elections in 2004.
Some analysts, however, speculated that the split stemmed from the battle for power and influence in drafting the legislator line-up for the 2004 general elections. Whoever holds the party chairmanship before the general elections in 2004 is going to play a decisive role in choosing the party's candidates for 2004.
The split within PPP is likely to affect the performance of PPP in the next general elections. It came third in 1999's general elections.
Zainuddin, who was supported by 17 party leaders and provincial legislators from 29 provinces, has argued that PPP was dominated by veteran politicians of the New Order regime and therefore had to be reformed.
But Hamzah insisted that the executive board of the party had always followed the internal rules of the party in making decisions, including the decision to delay the party's congress until after the general elections in 2004.
He also dismissed suggestions that PPP was the party of the authoritarian New Order regime, saying that the party was marginalized during the New Order.
"Those who say that PPP is the party of the New Order regime has no idea about the struggle of the party," he said.
Hamzah said that during the New Order regime no PPP cadre held even the position of Ketua RT (neighborhood chief) due to the marginalization.
Hamzah also told that crowd that there was an urgent need for the government to focus on the improvement of the education sector.
He pointed out that during his visits to provinces he had told regional leaders to allocate more funds for education.
During the ceremony Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso proposed the establishment of casinos but Hamzah strongly rejected the plan saying that those who want to gamble should go overseas.
The ceremony was also attended by former cooperatives minister Zarkasih Noer, PPP legislators Faisal Baasir, Chozin Chumaidy, and former legislator Hussein Umar.