Minister 'must resign' before running for PAN chairmanship

Tiarma Siboro and Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Semarang

Leader of the country's second largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, has called on Minister of Transportation Hatta Radjasa to resign from his Cabinet post before running in a leadership election for the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Deputy chairman Din Syamsuddin of Muhammadiyah, which has a lot of links with and influence upon PAN, said the policy would prevent state officials from taking advantage of their executive power for campaign purposes as well as vote-buying.

Hatta is a member of both PAN and Muhammadiyah.

"I hope that state officials, who wish to run, will voluntarily resign before the election begins -- not wait until the election ends," Din told reporters at Muhammadiyah headquarters on Monday.

I hope Pak Hatta decides to resign from his ministerial post first."

PAN, founded by Muhammadiyah in 1998, is slated to hold a national congress in Semarang, Central Java, where they are expected to elect a new leader beginning this Thursday.

As of today, there are six candidates who have confirmed that they will run. They consist of economic analyst Didik J. Rachbini, scholar Muslim Abdurrahman, businessman Sutrisno Bachir, former minister of finance Fuad Bawazier, legislator Samuel Kotto and Hatta.

The candidates expect to gather votes from a total 1,500 of the party's regional delegates.

To support the congress, the steering committee has booked 2,000 rooms for the party's executives at various hotels in Semarang. Food and street vendors are also invited to set up makeshift shops at Lapangan Simpang Lima compound, where about 6,000 of the party's cadres will hold an opening ceremony.

The current party leader Amien Rais, who lost last year's presidential election in the first round, has said he would not enter the PAN leadership race. He has also been quoted by the press earlier as saying that Hatta should resign from the Cabinet before contesting the leadership post.

Some analysts have speculated that the move by Hatta to enter the race was to ensure that the party would support Susilo's government, as was the case at the Golkar congress, which is now led by Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Golkar has played a crucial role in helping push the House of Representatives to approve Susilo's unpopular fuel hike policy.

"What we (the Muhammadiyah) want is a leader who upholds religious principles and promotes this organization's vision and mission," Din said, when asked by the press which candidate would be supported by Muhammadiyah.

Din also warned Muhammadiyah members, who are also running for the PAN leadership post, not to bribe anybody or act in a corrupt manner.

"I warn them (the candidates) not to be corrupt. They must remember that PAN and Muhammadiyah are just like two sides of a coin," Din added.

PAN is the fifth largest faction in the House.