PAN wants Amien to stay on as party head

PAN wants Amien to stay on as party head

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The executive board of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
officially announced its opposition to Amien Rais' expressed
intention to relinquish the top post in the party, saying that
his leadership was still needed at least until the general
election in 2004.

The rejection was disclosed on Sunday at the end of the
party's executive board meeting attended by members of the
party's advisory board and representatives of the party's 30
chapters nationwide.

"Through this meeting we have concluded that we will demand
that he (Amien Rais) maintain his leadership of the party,"
deputy secretary-general M. Najib told the press, reading out a
six-point statement.

Najib was accompanied by co-chairman Abdillah Toha, secretary-
general Hatta Rajasa and chairman of the party's advisory board
Amin Aziz.

Sunday's meeting which lasted nearly seven hours was organized
especially to collect inputs from the regional chapters regarding
the intention of Amien to quit the party's top post to enable him
to focus on his duties as speaker of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR).

Amien disclosed his intention to the public early last month,
responding to a call from the governor of the National Resilience
Institute (Lemhannas) Ermaya Suradinata that all party leaders
should quit their positions in the parties to avoid a conflict of
interests.

The latest example of how government leaders use their
position to further party interests could be seen from the visits
to flood victims in Jakarta, where state leaders openly displayed
the logos of their political parties.

In their official state-funded visits, state leaders,
including the President, Vice President, ministers, house speaker
and assembly speaker, often spent time in activities with the
local leaders of their respective parties.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri is concurrently chairperson
of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
while Vice President Hamzah Haz is also the chairman of the
Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP). Both Megawati and
Hamzah have insisted that they will not quit their post as party
chairperson.

Megawati maintained her stance on Sunday, saying that she was
elected by the party congress.

"If I am told to relinquish the party' leadership, it will be
a violation of the (party) constitution," Megawati said in Medan,
North Sumatra, as quoted by Antara.

Megawati called on state officials who held strategic
positions in the political parties to always put national
interests above all else.

"Holding a dual position (in the party and as a state
official) should not be used for collusive practices or lead to
an abuse of power. The abuse of power must be ended and we must
lead by example in developing a clean, credible, effective,
transparent and ethical government," she added.

Hamzah's insistence on continuing to head PPP led his
opponents to form a splinter party called PPP reform.

Referring to Ermaya's call, the meeting of PAN also called on
all state officials, mainly PAN members, to avoid the use of
state facilities for the benefit of the party.

The closed-door meeting also urged the executive board to
boost its performance to avoid depending solely on Amien.

"We know that we must strengthen the party to survive in the
future," Najib added.

Abdillah Toha said that the six-point statement would be
presented to Amien, who would be asked to seriously consider it
before making any decision.

According to Abdillah, Amien should consider the result of the
meeting seriously because the recommendation is in line with
party regulations.

Abdillah said the party would allow Amien to relinquish his
chairmanship only after the party has announced his nomination as
a presidential candidate in 2004.