PPP faces dissension in Jakarta chapter
PPP faces dissension in Jakarta chapter
JAKARTA (JP): The central executive board of the United Development Party (PPP) is facing an unexpected dissension from its Jakarta chapter over the election of the chapter's chairman.
An attempt by the PPP central executive board to intervene and appoint its own candidate for the vacant post in the Jakarta chapter was quickly rejected by many of the chapter leaders.
The central board seized the initiative immediately after the congress failed to elect its leaders by the deadline on Sunday.
On Monday, PPP Chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum and Secretary General Tosari Widjaja issued a decree stating they were taking on the responsibility of appointing the chapter's chairman.
They subsequently appointed Rusjdi Hamka, one of the candidates during the congress, for the post.
However, the proposal was quickly rejected by a group of leaders of the outgoing executive board of the Jakarta chapter board. In a statement signed by deputy chairman Yoenoes Rahman and secretary Mohammad Rodja, they rejected the appointment of Rusjdi. Instead they appointed Arifin Arbain, who was the leading candidate when the congress ended inconclusively on Sunday.
The chapter leaders, who staked their claim as the organizers of the congress, gave Arifin, Arwis Rangkuti and Zarkasih Marzuki a mandate to appoint the new line up of the chapter's executive board for the 1995-2000 period.
Congress sources said the election over the chapter leadership reached a deadlock on Sunday because Djufrie Asmoredjo, a representative of the PPP Central Executive Board, who sat in the election council, refused to sign the appointment of Arifin as the new chairman although he had the endorsement of the other council members.
Djufrie had insisted on the appointment or Rusjdi, the sources said.
"The council endorsed my election by a majority vote. The result is valid even though there wasn't a full consensus," Arifin said, Republika daily newspaper reported.
A central executive board official denied that Ismail Hasan is forcing his own candidate for the Jakarta chapter.
The central board only wants what is best for the chapter, Muhsin Bafadal, the deputy secretary general, told reporters.
This is the second time that the PPP central executive board has had to intervene in the appointment of chapter leaders since the party's regional offices began holding elections for the 1995-2000 period.
The first one occurred at the request of the East Java chapter after its own congress failed to reach an agreement on a candidate.
The central board subsequently appointed Syumli Sadli as the new chairman to replace Sulaeman Fadeli, who has led the chapter for two consecutive five year periods.
Unlike in Jakarta, the selection by the central board appeared to have been widely accepted by the chapter's leaders. At least there were no outright opposition by yesterday.
The East Java chapter board is scheduled to hold a ceremony to mark the transfer of the leadership on Saturday.
"It will be a simple ceremony, to save costs," Syumli told the Antara news agency.
The Moslem-based party is currently in the process of consolidating the organization following its national congress which saw the reelection of Ismail Hasan for another five-year term. The regional chapters are now in the process of holding their own congresses and elect their new leaders.(emb)