PPP figure Buya Hasan passes away

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Buya Ismail Hasan Metareum, former leader of the country's largest Islamic political party the United Development Party (PPP) passed away on Saturday morning after being hospitalized for diabetes with severe complications at Pelni Hospital, Central Jakarta. He was 76.

He is survived by his wife, Mariani, whom he married in 1959, five children and several grandchildren.

His death was confirmed by PPP secretary Lukman Hakim, Antara reported. Buya led the party for two consecutive periods from 1989 to 1998.

Buya, who was also a former House of Representatives and People's Consultative Assembly speaker, began using a wheelchair two years ago after he tripped and sustained a fractured leg.

Ever since his youth, Buya had dedicated his life to working in many civic organizations, such as the Aceh Mujahidin Soldiers and Islamic Students Association, before joining the Indonesian Muslim Party, which fused into PPP in 1973.

As a noted academic, Buya became a lecturer at the University of Indonesia's Faculty of Law, a dean at the University of Tarumanegara, and once was appointed as special advisor for the Indonesian delegation to the 1978 United Nations Plenary Session in New York.

Buya's skill in politics was also well recognized. He was responsible for bringing PPP glory after succeeding in securing 89 seats in the legislature in the 1997 general election, a significant increase from only 62 in the previous one.

He was also known for his efforts to end the conflict in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province between the government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement, which has demanded independence for the resource-rich province for decades.