PPP chairman Ismail refuses to step down

PPP chairman Ismail refuses to step down

JAKARTA (JP): United Development Party (PPP) chairman Ismail
Hasan Metareum brushed aside demands yesterday for him to step
down, saying he would only leave the post at the end of his term.

Speaking to reporters an hour after his supporters regained
control over the party's headquarters from a dissenting group
which demanded his resignation, Ismail affirmed his commitment to
stay on as chairman until the end of his term which is signified
by the holding of a party congress.

"I was elected as party chairman during PPP's 1994 congress
and will only return the mandate to party members in the next
congress," he said.

Ismail, who is better known as Buya, acknowledged that there
were demands to move up the congress, which is currently
scheduled for 1999.

"The decision, whether or not to have the party congress ahead
of schedule, will be made in the upcoming leadership meeting
slated for June 26," he said.

"Such an early party congress is needed to anticipate the
government's plans for the next general election," he added.

President B.J. Habibie said Saturday that the next general
election would be held as early as May next year.

Invade

Thousands of Ismail's supporters invaded the PPP headquarters
on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, at 2 p.m. yesterday and took
control of the party's secretariat within a few minutes.

The party headquarters had been "occupied" by a group of 300
dissenting party members since Monday.

The group, calling itself the PPP Reform Committee, demanded
party leaders hold an extraordinary congress to elect a new
chairman to replace Ismail, no later than June 30. The congress
is currently scheduled for August 1999. The group also asked
Ismail to step down.

Ismail dismissed the allegations that the PPP executive board
had failed to satisfy the people's reform movement and maintained
support for then president Soeharto.

"It's not true if people say that PPP had always wanted
Soeharto as president."

"The PPP faction at the House of Representatives, together
with other factions, formally asked Pak Harto to step down," he
said.

The group had earlier accused Ismail of manipulating the party
into supporting the renomination of Soeharto for president in
March, while ignoring 20 out of 27 provincial councils, which
were against the decision. (imn)