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)