PPP fires Ja'far Badjeber

JAKARTA: Officials from the United Development Party's (PPP) Jakarta chapter have fired its chairman Ja'far Badjeber because he joined PPP's splinter party, PPP-Reform.

One of the chapter's deputy chairmen Chudlary Syafii Hadzani said at the city council building on Friday that the chapter had named another deputy chairman, Azwar Abbas, to replace Ja'far. Matnoor Tindoan, formerly the deputy secretary, was the chapter's new executive director, he said.

PPP can not take any action in regard to Ja'far's position as vice chairman of the Jakarta City Council as he was elected when representing the party.

Ja'far told reporters that he had planned to submit his resignation letter at the PPP-Reform declaration on Jan. 20.

"If members of the City Council decide I have to quit my position as vice chairman, it's up to them," he said.

He claimed that so far no council members had demanded he quit his post. He said about 200 PPP councillors nationwide had joined PPP-Reform. -- JP