Hasyim nominated for presidency

Hasyim nominated for presidency

JAKARTA: The Christian-based political party Love the Nation
Democratic Party (PDKB) has proposed chairman of the country's
largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Hasyim Muzadi as
its presidential candidate.

PDKB chairman Manasse Malo said on Tuesday that Hasyim
fulfilled the requirements for the country's leader because of
his willingness to listen to people regardless of their ethnic
background or religion.

The party's executives met Hasyim on Tuesday to convey their
intention at NU's headquarters on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central
Jakarta.

Hasyim himself did not immediately respond to the proposal,
saying that he would consult NU's clerics who he said had
assigned him to lead the organization instead of running for
government posts.

Several provincial chapters of Golkar, the country's second
largest political party, had once nominated Hasyim as their
presidential candidate, but Hasyim rejected the request. -- JP

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Scene-Aceh-road
Minister says colleagues indifferent
JP/4/Aceh

Minister says colleagues indifferent

JAKARTA: State Minister of the Environment Nabiel Makarim
complained on Tuesday about his colleagues' indifference in the
controversial road construction project that will cut a large
swath through a protected forest in Aceh.

Nabiel told a hearing with the House of Representatives'
commission VIII on environment that he had been seeking a
solution to the matter by consulting Minister of Regional
Settlements and Infrastructure Soenarno and Minister of Forestry
M. Prakosa as well as nongovernmental activists and the House
legislators.

"But so far there has been no response from the forestry and
regional settlements and infrastructure ministers," Nabiel said.

Nabiel said he would consult Prakosa about the appropriation
of the forest and Soenarno about the priority road projects in
war-torn Aceh.

The road project connecting eastern and western coasts of
Aceh, called Ladia Galaska, will cut through the protected forest
in Leuser, which has long served to maintain a rare and fragile
ecosystem.-- Antara

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Scene-presidency-bill
House indecisive on presidency bill
JP/4/bill

House indecisive on presidency bill

JAKARTA: Two years ago, the House of Representatives (DPR)
agreed that it would deliberate upon the presidency bill, but the
special committee tasked with debating the bill has inexplicably
not begun.

A member of the special committee, Zein Badjeber, provided an
excuse on Tuesday, saying he had never been invited to discuss
the bill.

"We are just waiting for further developments," Zein of the
United Development Party (PPP) said here.

A plenary meeting of the House in June 2001 agreed to
deliberate the bill, which was drafted by the House members to
prevent abuses of power by the President.

The bill was drafted when then president Abdurrahman Wahid had
been mistakenly accused of misusing US$2 million in humanitarian
aid for Aceh from Brunei Sultan Hasanal Bolkiah.

However, the special committee has never convened a meeting to
discuss the bill. -- JP

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Scene-Megawati-PDIP
Megawati rejects caretaker idea
JP/4/PDIP

Megawati rejects caretaker idea

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri brushed aside
demands for a caretaker leadership to run the daily operations of
the party, saying it would only create a dual leadership.

"There is no such thing as a caretaker leader, according to
the party's statutes, so the issue is no longer up for
discussion," the party's deputy secretary general Pramono Anung
Wibowo said after the weekly meeting led by Megawati.

Megawati, also the President, had been under pressure from
many sides to name a caretaker so that she could focus on running
the country, rather than splitting her time while running the
country's largest party, especially with a major national
election campaign coming up.

"We really thought that the suggestion would good for the
party's sake, but now it is no longer a subject that can be
considered, because everybody needs to be in conformity ahead of
the 2004 elections," he remarked.--JP