Hamzah Haz plays down PPP Reformasi formation

Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A splinter group of the United Development Party (PPP) declared the founding of the United Development Party of Reform (PPP-Reformasi) Sunday amid claims by PPP chairman and the country's Vice President Hamzah Haz that the Muslim-based party remained solid.

A group of 17 party officials, led by noted Muslim cleric Zainuddin MZ, declared the establishment of PPP-Reformasi in a modest ceremony at a hotel in Senayan, Central Jakarta. The party's declaration was read out by one of the founders, Zainal Maarif.

Hamzah said the establishment of PPP-Reformasi was not because PPP had broken up from within.

"PPP is still solid. Those who wanted to split from PPP were just individuals, not the PPP provincial boards or regency chapters... there was no split," Hamzah told some 5,000 sympathizers of PPP during the 29th anniversary of its creation at the Sudimampir Stadium in Cilegon, Banten.

The Muslim-based PPP finished third in the 1999 elections.

"One individual goes out of PPP, many others will replace him. Intellectuals, artists, members of student bodies, a number of cabinet ministers all have asked to join PPP," Hamzah said as quoted by Antara.

"They want to join us, not because of the leader, but because of the programs and vision of PPP."

The declaration of PPP Reformasi was witnessed by provincial legislators from 29 provinces and hundreds of sympathizers.

Zainuddin, a staunch supporter of the move to set up the new political party, joined the declaration ceremony after giving a fiery speech to thousands of people at the Bung Karno sports stadium, located near the hotel.

The 17 officials of PPP Reformasi include Djafar Badjeber, former chairman of the Jakarta provincial chapter of PPP, former PPP Central Java branch deputy chairman Zainal Maarif and former PPP deputy secretary general Saleh Khalid.

Following the declaration, Zainuddin told his sympathizers in a diplomatic manner that the party was not a competitor of PPP, which is led by Hamzah.

"The fact that the vice president (Hamzah) stated that PPP is still solid, and that there was never any friction within PPP, is a wise thing. We are two different parties with very different ideologies. That's all," Zainuddin said.

The split followed demands lodged by Zainuddin and PPP's Young Turks to change the party's board of executives before the 2004 general elections.

Zainuddin's camp maintains that the decision violated the party's statutes and that the congress should be held in 2003, a year before the general elections.

Hamzah's faction insists that the party needed to consolidate to prepare for the 2004 elections. They said a party congress, which would result in a new leadership, would weaken the party.

Hamzah has questioned the splinter group's move to exploit the issue of syariah (Islamic law), as its reason to break away from the party. The splinter group supporters are known for their softer stance on syariah than PPP.