PADI joins plethora of parties

JAKARTA (JP): A group of academics, social activists and businesspeople gathered together to form the Indonesian Democratic Alliance Movement (PADI) as a precursor to a political party with the ultimate aim of protecting and highlighting the diversity in Indonesia.

They immediately slammed the present government under B.J. Habibie for failing to restore public confidence and called for leading reform figures to establish a reform committee as a coalition leadership.

"The depreciation in the rupiah, the soaring price of basic essentials and the uncertain condition of the economy in which almost all activities have stopped all need a trustworthy national leadership to rectify," their statement said yesterday.

Among the founding members of the movement are Rio Tambunan, who sits on the National Olympic Committee, social activist Roberto Bangun and Harry Ganda Asi, who directs a public relations company.

They said they would transform their movement into a party once the new law on political parties had been drafted.

They said a reform committee comprised of experts, students, social and religious leaders was urgently needed and should be set up before the planned extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly in November.

"All those who support reform must unite and let no one divide them or set them against one another," the statement read. (aan)