Justice Party launches Jakarta chapter in huge rally

Justice Party launches Jakarta chapter in huge rally

JAKARTA (JP): About 15,000 Moslem youths packed the Senayan
Sports Hall on Sunday for the launching of the Jakarta chapter of
the Justice Party, declaring readiness to contest the planned
general election in May next year.

The event also marked the simultaneous launching of four other
provincial chapters in Bengkulu, South, East and West Kalimantan,
bringing the number of party chapters to 14. This is the minimum
amount required for a party to qualify for the polls, according
to the draft law on general elections still pending deliberation
by the House of Representatives.

Chapter chairman Ahmad Heriawan, who was installed by party
president Nurmahmudi Ismail, said it aimed to be among the top
five vote-gaining parties in Jakarta in the election.

"We're confident ... because we enjoy the support of students,
professionals and young intellectuals," he said. "Workers,
traders, teachers, civil servants and preachers are our
constituents."

Nurmahmudi, a civil servant and senior researcher at the state
Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT),
downplayed the concern of military officials that mobilization of
students and youths would lead to unrest, saying the party would
not be stirred by disruptive political maneuvers of others.

"We will not be provoked by campaigns to topple (President
B.J.) Habibie's government, which is already a transitional
government (anyway)," he said.

The Justice Party also champions the abolition of a decree
that forces all social and political organizations to embrace
Pancasila as their sole ideology.

"We reject the imposition of Pancasila as the sole ideology
for all organizations... because (it backfires and) creates
apathy and diminishes patriotism," he said.

"This does not mean we seek to undermine the state. We believe
in Pancasila and the Constitution as the basis for national
unity.

"Our struggle against the imposition of Pancasila as the state
ideology is in fact a call on other groups -- be they Christians,
Catholics, Hindus, Buddhist -- to participate and develop
Indonesia from their own parties."

Separately, the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity In Diversity)
party inaugurated its Jakarta's chapter on Sunday in a ceremony
at the Gedung Joang building in Central Jakarta.

The party's chairman Nurdin Purnomo, who led the launching,
installed Daniel Abbas Purwasabda as chairman for the Jakarta
chapter.

In his speech, Nurdin vowed to lead his party to win the 1999
general election even though it would not be an easy task, Antara
reported. (swe/bsr)