Ismail Hasan, Matori urged to step down
Ismail Hasan, Matori urged to step down
JAKARTA (JP): A vocal legislator from the United Development
Party (PPP) says that party chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum and
secretary general Matori Abdul Djalil should step down and make
way for others to run the party.
Sri Bintang Pamungkas said the two men, who are seen as strong
contenders for the PPP chairmanship election next month, have
failed to turn the party into an organization independent of the
government.
"We've had enough of Ismail Hasan and Matori. They should make
way for others to lead the party," Bintang told The Jakarta Post
on Saturday.
He said both men may have succeeded in forging unity in the
party, which has often been torn by internal bickering, but they
failed to make PPP independent.
As an example of the PPP's lack of independence, he cited the
poor response given by party leaders to the government's ban of
three news magazines last month. Then, the party leaders simply
stated that they could understand the government move, he
recalled.
The incumbent Ismail Hasan currently appears to have the upper
hand in the run up to the election to be held at the party's
congress slated for the end of August in Jakarta.
He has already secured the support of leaders of many
provincial boards and also, according to some political analysts,
the tacit backing of the government despite official assurances
of a hands off policy.
Matori is counting the support of the Nahdlatul Ulama, by far
the largest of the factions in the party whose leaders have made
it known of their intention to wrest the party's leadership.
Bintang, a newcomer to the PPP who often speaks his mind, said
neither Ismail Hasan nor Matori have met the expectation of party
members to make PPP into a great party, a viable alternative to
Golkar, instead of simply playing second fiddle to the ruling
political group.
"During the last five years, PPP has not shown that it has any
potential or the fighting spirit," he said. "The party has
contributed nothing to cause of Moslems or the Indonesian people
in general. It has contributed nothing to democracy."
More cash
Bintang has been mentioned by some party insiders as a
possible candidate because of his outspokenness, a sharp contrast
to the conservative leadership of Ismail Hasan.
The party is now under pressure to find a more populist leader
to match the charisma of Megawati Soekarnoputri who was elected
chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in December.
Asked about his chances at the PPP election, Bintang said he
was ready to lead the party. "More and more people have given me
their support."
Meanwhile, the government on Saturday promised that more cash
is on the way to help PPP raise the Rp 1.5 billion it needs to
the congress.
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said that the government's
assistance would be more than the Rp 10 million already pledged
so far.
"The government wants to be fair," he told reporters after
opening a seminar on justice here.
As a comparison, the government gave PDI around Rp 800 million
to stage its congress in Surabaya, East Java last year.
Moerdiono said the government has always helped political
organizations and mass organizations in holding their congresses.
"We help them all," he said. "We take note to their request,
scrutinize how much they need and then we help them. But it does
not mean that we would give the whole amount," he said.
Meanwhile, Antara quoted the party's chairman Ismail Hasan
Metareum as saying that there was no longer any problem regarding
the funds for the congress because the State Secretariat has
pledged to lend a hand.
He said that the funds allocated by the government would be
sufficient after the organizers cut down the budget. (11/par)