New party has room for many: Amien

JAKARTA (JP): Moslem leader Amien Rais wants the People's Mandate Party (PAB) to be accommodative enough to woo not only members of the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) but also labor leaders.

"I want PAB to become a major vehicle," Amien said here Saturday after installing the executive board of a youth wing of Muhammadiyah, the Moslem organization that he chairs which boasts 28 million members.

"It will embrace various groups such as figures from non- governmental organizations, labor leaders, kyai (leaders of Islamic boarding schools), as well as members of the Council of People's Mandate (MARA)," Amien was quoted by Antara as saying.

PAB's founding will be formally declared on Aug. 17.

"I want the party to become inclusive ... we can no longer afford to be exclusive and think of the interests of our individual groups."

He called on PPP leaders as well as organizations such as Nahdlatul Ulama and Syarikat Islam to consider his offer to merge on equal footing. Reminded that PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum had already dismissed the suggestion, Amien said: "That's a normal response of a political party chairman. I understand."

The PAB is being prepared for formal establishment by members of the Council for People's Mandate (MARA), which comprises 44 leading figures including senior journalist Goenawan Mohamad, noted political scientist Mochtar Pabottingi, lawyer Albert Hasibuan and economist Emil Salim. Its founding date coincides with national independence day.

More 45 parties have been set up in the current age of reform following the resignation of Soeharto from the presidency in May.

Amien, a critic of Soeharto who remains critical of President B.J. Habibie, said in his speech Saturday that Indonesians should not be pessimistic of their ability to overcome the crisis because they still had "five assets" to rely on.

"What we need is a team of strong leaders with abilities to manage the assets, not manipulate or abuse their powers," he said.

The first asset he mentioned was abundant natural resources. "Thousands of hectares had been burned down, gold and other minerals had been plundered during Soeharto's regime, but we still have much left."

He also cited intelligence, and the manageability of the Indonesian people by their leaders. The fourth asset was people's resilience, a result of years spent under "colonialism ... which makes the same frame of mentality as the Japanese after they lost the war":

"The fifth capital is Indonesian people's religiosity, something which we all should turn to during times of crisis," he said. (swe)