Matori's new party ready for election

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil, who had just lost a legal battle to retain his leadership in the National Awakening Party (PKB), says his new political group, the Democratic Glory Party (Pekade), would be ready to contest the 2004 elections.

"We have put aside the defeat, and are now concentrating on efforts to take part in the 2004 elections," Matori said on Saturday after addressing his party's meeting in Makassar.

The meeting was held to discuss the establishment of Pekade's chapters in six provinces in the eastern part of Indonesia. Hundreds of party cadres from South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Gorontalo and Southwest Sulawesi attended the meeting.

Matori claimed that the party would soon have chapters and branches in 30 provinces and 320 regencies.

However, he could not say when the Pekade would register with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to contest the elections.

Matori was fired by the PKB chief patron former president Abdurrahman Wahid for backing the latter's ouster by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in 2001.

Unhappy with his dismissal, Matori filed a lawsuit against the PKB but finally lost it. --Antara