PPP and its congress

PPP and its congress

From Detik

The second largest political party in Indonesia, the United
Development Party (PPP), will hold a congress in August to elect
its leader for the next five-year term.

Since early March, some popular candidates such as the
intellectual Gus Dur, singer Rhoma Irama, ulema KH Zainudin MZ
and legislative member Sri Bintang Pamungkas have been widely
rumored as the possible new leader. But the closer the date of
the congress, the more uncertain the discussion about the
candidates' requirements.

The competition for the PPP top spot is turning from a leader
who can accommodate all interests of party's members to a
sectarian issue. It is obvious now that the two big powers in the
PPP - Indonesian Moslem (MI) and Nahdatul Ulama(NU) - are
fighting for PPP's leadership.

Indeed, such a conflict is a common thing in political game,
but PPP should learn from the failure of the smallest party, the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to elect its Chairperson in the
past congress, necessitating an extraordinary and national
congress.

The PDI failure was caused by two things: internal conflicts
and government intervention.

It is important for PPP not to tolerate sectarian conflict and
outside intervention.

PPP needs a democratic leader to come from a democratic
election.

AGUS YAHYA SS.

Semarang, Central Java