PPP formally reverts to its former identity

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) on Tuesday formally reassumed its previous identity as an Islamic party, the platform it plans to use in next year's general election against about 100 other political parties.

The congress also endorsed the use of the image of the Kaaba, the Moslem holy shrine in Mecca, as its symbol in place of the star, but retained dark green as the party's color.

Zarkasih Nur, the congress' organizing committee chairman, said PPP would go beyond mere token use of Islamic symbols to campaign for the interests of the country's Moslems.

The party's program, to be endorsed during the congress' final day on Wednesday, will be imbued with Islamic teachings, Zarkasih said. "These changes are expected to have a positive impact on the party's performance in the general election."

The congress also endorsed a number of reform proposals which the party's new leaders -- to be inducted on Wednesday -- are expected to push through the House of Representatives (DPR).

Zarkasih said the congress had given a mandate to the PPP faction in the House to fight for a reduction in the number of seats allocated to the Armed Forces (ABRI) to only 10.

PPP lost a motion to remove ABRI's political privileges during the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly last month. While it came up short in the attempt, the party won widespread public support that it hopes will translate into votes at the polls next year.

The House is currently debating three political bills which include setting the number of seats to be allocated to ABRI as a concession for not contesting the election. ABRI now has 75 seats but the government-sponsored bill proposes cutting the amount to 55.

The congress ordered the party's new executive board to fight for the dismantling of the Directorate General for Sociopolitical Affairs within the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the military- managed Coordinating Agency for the Maintenance of National Stability (Bakorstranas).

Zarkasih said the two agencies had suppressed the activities of political parties and were part and parcel of a political system designed to keep Soeharto in power during his 32-year presidency.

The presence of the agencies would continue to hamper the development of democracy, he added.

While there seemed wide agreement on programs, the congress was polarized along old factional lines on the question of the leadership lineup.

The contest for the chairmanship crystallized on Tuesday into a two-horse race between two party seniors who serve in the Cabinet of President B.J. Habibie: State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin and State Minister for Investment Hamzah Haz.

The battle has virtually reopened the old rivalry between the Muslimin Indonesia (MI) and the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the two dominant factions that merged with two others political parties into the PPP in 1973.

The PPP chairmanship contest has traditionally been won by the MI.

Hamzah received the support of ulemas who worked hard behind the scenes in lobbying congress delegates to support him.

Several young supporters launched a noisy campaign in the corridors of the haj dormitory, the venue of the PPP congress. "Long live Hamzah Haz. We support him as chairman," they shouted.

Saefuddin's supporters were equally active.

A petition supporting Saefuddin collected the signatures of 120 delegates by Tuesday afternoon.

It said signatories supported Saefuddin because he had strong leadership qualities that the party badly needed to push the Islamic mission and programs into the national agenda.

On Tuesday afternoon, the delegates began submitting the names of seven "formatters", a board that would be given a free hand to form the new leadership lineup, including that of chairman.

The result of the election of formatters was expected to be announced later on Tuesday or in the early hours of Wednesday. The board has until Wednesday afternoon to announce the new lineup of the central executive board.

Hamzah's camp is championing seven names of Hamzah, Achmad Karmani, Simli Sadli, Ali Marwan, Muchsin, Syaiful and Yudho Paripurno.

Saefuddin's backers have thrown their weight behind Saefuddin, Bachtiar Chamzah, Alfian Dharmawan, Rusdi Hamka, Mudrick Setiawan M.S. and Ali Hardi Kiyai Demak. (rms)