Ismail Hasan must placate NU: Analysts
Ismail Hasan must placate NU: Analysts
JAKARTA (JP): The future of the United Development Party (PPP)
could be jeopardized if chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, who was
reelected to the post after a bitter fight at the party's
congress this week, fails to placate the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU),
analysts say.
They maintain that Ismail Hasan's reelection could alienate
the NU, by far the largest faction in the Moslem-based party,
after its bid to oust the incumbent chairman failed.
The party's future is now at stake and Ismail Hasan must mend
fences with NU, said Maswadi Rauf, a staff lecturer at the School
of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia.
Maswadi underlined that NU boasts 35 million members in
Indonesia. "NU's role in the PPP cannot be taken for granted," he
told The Jakarta Post.
Amir Santoso, also from the University of Indonesia, warned
that NU might have been left bitter by the defeat. "Ismail Hasan
needs to placate the ulemas to make sure that they don't campaign
against PPP in the 1997 election."
Ismail Hasan hails from Muslimin Indonesia, which has
dominated the party's leadership.
He was named head of the party's 21-strong central executive
board for a second five-year term by a seven-person electoral
council which he himself headed.
Two council members, Matori Abdul Djalil and Syansuri Badawi,
both from NU, declined to endorse the board's selection after the
other five members, all from MI, refused to accept the list of NU
figures presented by the two.
The MI's council members instead selected seven NU figures to
be named to the central executive board.
Maswadi said Ismail Hasan's first priority would be to
approach Matori, his main rival in this week's election, because
he still commands strong influence within the NU faction.
Matori lost not only the election, but also his seat on the
executive board. He was previously the secretary general but had
distanced himself from Ismail Hasan in the weeks preceding the
congress.
"It is possible that PPP's support could decline if the
chairman fails to embrace NU," Maswadi said.
He also warned Ismail Hasan not to "rid" the party of NU
elements.
He warned that the NU ulemas could boycott the party in the
future to protest the way their representatives were treated at
the congress.
Meanwhile NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid described the new
board as "elitist and lacking grassroots support."
Abdurrahman, popularly known as Gus Dur, told reporters that
the new line-up would not be able to court young voters at the
next general election.
PPP has enjoyed moderate support from young voters displeased
with Golkar. But in the 1997 election, these young people would
turn to PDI instead of PPP, he said.
Abdurrahman said the ulemas might lose confidence in the
party. "I admit that it is too early for me to make such a
prediction. But I call on the voters to go to the PDI instead of
shunning the election," he said.
Reconciliation was indeed one of the first things that came to
Ismail Hasan's mind. Shortly after his victory Thursday night, he
told reporters that he bore no grudges against Matori and the
other contenders for the chairmanship.
He also promised not to remove Matori and Sri Bintang
Pamungkas from the House of Representatives.
Bintang, a young PPP legislator, launched a bid from the
congress's sidelines to unseat Ismail Hasan, and received the
support of the young people in the process.
"I say once again that they will not be recalled. But if they
trespass across the line and principles fought and accepted by
the party, the case will be different," Ismail Hasan said.
He said the disaffected candidates could vent their anger at
him, but not on the other leaders or the party.
Darmanto Yatman, a political observer from the Semarang-based
Diponegoro University in Central Java, said that retaining the
old policy was the most realistic course of action given the
present situation.
He believes that the PPP needs someone like Ismail Hasan,
saying that it is the only way for the party to survive at a time
when controls from the authorities are still being felt.
Darmanto however questioned the exclusion of Matori and
Bintang from the new executive board.
Another observer, Fachry Ali, said he was optimistic that PPP
would retain its second position at the next general election.
He told Antara that the line-up of the new board has already
accommodated the interests of all the factions, including the NU
and the radical elements within the party.
He said the party's election chances in 1997 depend more on
how well the new leadership prepares the party than on the make-
up of the board.
Dean of the School of Social and Political Sciences of the
University of Indonesia, M. Budyatna, said that given a chance,
MI would be separated from NU.
He believed that the government was aware that it would be
difficult for the two factions to stand united. "It is possible
that MI will emerge as a party," he told Antara. (par)