PPP dissidents protest suspensions

JAKARTA: Supporters of five United Development Party (PPP) executives removed from the party's central board broke into the PPP headquarters on Friday to protest the move.

Emron Pangkapi, one of the suspended executives, led the action at the party's main office on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta. After entering the building, the group held an unofficial meeting.

PPP sharia council chairman Fahrur Razi and member Syaugi Tahir, and the deputy head of the party's council of experts, A.M. Rodza, took part in the action. Cooperatives minister Suryadharma Ali was also present.

They said the meeting was aimed at pressuring the party's central board to back down from its decision to temporarily dismiss Emron and four other executives -- Zarkasih Nur, Suryadharma Ali, Andi Muhammad Ghalib and Lukman Hakim Syaefudin.

The five were suspended after attending a PPP meeting in February that recommended the party move forward its national congress from 2007 to 2005, apparently to replace party leader Hamzah Haz. --Antara