PAN sets to drop religious clause from its platform

PAN sets to drop religious clause from its platform

JAKARTA (JP): The National Mandate Party (PAN) has renewed its
commitment not to insert iman dan takwa (faith and devotion) into
its existing platform of Pancasila, but added a few terms
concerning political ethics.

Ahead of the party's three-day national meeting in Denpasar,
Bali, the special team, set up at the end of the party's congress
early last year, has formulated small changes to the party's
platform, which will be announced on Monday.

"We have agreed to drop iman dan takwa from the platform,
however, there is a slight change because we have inserted some
'moral and ethical' terms into it," PAN secretary-general Hatta
Radjasa told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"The party was established on the basis of religious morality,
all religions, not just one. So, there will be some addenda
related to religious teachings, but universal ones," he said.

However, he refused to unveil the minor changes in the
platform, saying that the changes did not affect the identity of
PAN as a nationalist party.

"We have decided that we will remain a nationalist party. That
is for sure," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, PAN chairman Amien Rais said there were
some minor changes, but he stressed that such amendments would
not veer from the main foundations set when the party was
established in 1998.

"There will surely be some minor changes, modifications here
and there, but God willing, the party's identity will remain the
same, and our friends with other religious affiliations, such as
Christians and Hindus, have accepted the changes," Amien said.

PAN's first ever congress on Feb. 10 last year took place
under the shadow of controversy and threats of resignation from
senior executives over a proposal to adopt the religious
stipulation into its founding political platforms.

Some party executives considered the move an effort to convert
PAN into a Muslim-based party.

On the national working meeting, the party will also discuss
the party's internal consolidation and efforts to change the
current indirect general election system to a direct one, the
district system, in the 2004 election.

"We are also going to issue some political recommendations,
but will maintain our support of the ongoing constitutional
process of issuing a memorandum of censure against the
President," Hatta said.

Chairmen of at least six major factions at the House of
Representatives are expected to attend the opening ceremony of
the party's national working committee late on Monday evening.

"There will be no formal meeting among them, but they may have
a discussion on the country's current problems," Hatta said.

Chairman of the Golkar Party faction Syamsul Muarif told the
Jakarta Post that he would go to the opening ceremony of PAN's
working meeting, but refused to comment on any possible meeting
among the factions' leaders.

"Whether or not there will be a meeting among the faction
chairmen, let's see what will happen tomorrow (Monday)," he said.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo also confirmed to
the Post that he would attend the opening ceremony in Denpasar on
Monday.

"But, I know nothing about any planned meeting (among the
faction chairmen) there, apart from PAN's national working
meeting," he said. (dja)