PPP congress democratic: Government
PPP congress democratic: Government
JAKARTA (JP): Despite reports of dissension within the newly
established executive board of the United Development Party
(PPP), the government considers the party's recent congress to be
"democratic".
President Soeharto congratulated the party's new executive
board yesterday and asked them to consolidate.
"Good job. Now continue the consolidation efforts," President
Soeharto was quoted as saying by Minister of Home Affairs Yogie
S.M.
Yogie said he reported to President Soeharto that last week's
"PPP congress proceeded smoothly and safely as planned."
The government recognizes the results of the congress," he
said.
"What stood out from this congress was that it was conducted
democratically," Yogie told reporters.
He said that the government was neutral in the formation of
the new board of leadership and that all it did was provide
safety and security."
Yogie brushed aside reports about a number of people who are
so dissatisfied with the congress' outcome that they wish to
abandon the party for good.
"Such threats are normal and common," he said. "If you have
elections, no matter where they are held, there are always some
people who are dissatisfied with the outcome."
Only days since his re-election, PPP chairman Ismail Hasan
Metareum has already had to work to contain dissension within his
newly formed executive board.
KH Syansuri Badawi, a prominent leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama
(NU) has rejected his appointment to the advisory board, while KH
Jusuf Hasyim, also from NU, has signaled he is also not happy
because he was never consulted in the first place.
The NU is the largest faction within the PPP.
Syansuri was a member of the seven-man electoral council led
by Ismail Hasan to name the new line-up of PPP's central
executive board.
However, he and another NU leader, Matori Abdul Djalil, walked
out of the council in protest and disagreement over the line-up
of the board. They did not endorse it, although the congress
later did when the names were presented.
A very senior ulema from NU, KH Alawy Muhammad, had even
threatened to abandon PPP altogether and join the rejuvenated,
populist Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headed by Megawati,
daughter of Indonesia first president Sukarno.
Yogie yesterday gave his version of the election process,
beginning with the formation of the electoral board by the 790
congress' participants.
Five of the seven-man electoral board were from the Muslimin
Indonesia (MI) faction and two from NU. They were Ismail Hasan
Metareum (from MI and voted by 230 people); Alihardi Kiaidemak
(MI, 156 votes); Aisyah Amini (MI, 153 votes); Muhsin Bafadal
(MI, 139 votes); Djufri Asmoredjo (MI, 128 votes); Matori Abdul
Djalil (NU, 134 votes) and KH Syansuri Badawi (NU, 131 votes).
Invalid
Out of all the votes cast in the formation of the electoral
board, five were invalid as they were given in support of people
who were not invited to the congress.
These people were outspoken PPP politician Sri Bintang
Pamungkas, lawyer-turned-politician H.M. Dault, preacher KH
Zaenuddin MZ, politicians Husni Thamrin and Saleh Khalid,
according to Yogie.
Led by Ismail Hasan, the electoral board then proceeded with
naming members for the party's central executive board for the
1994 - 1999 term.
Yogie said the electoral board had agreed that the executive
board would be manned by 10 MI members, 7 from NU, 2 from Perti
faction and 2 from SI faction.
According to Yogie, Matori refused to discuss the names of NU
leaders to be included in the executive board and, together with
Syansuri, walked out of the meeting.
The decision of the remaining members of the electoral board
was to proceed with their task because it was "valid, and because
it's in accordance with the party's statutes," Yogie said. (swe)