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)