PPP of Reform set to alter name, win more votes

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The newly established United Development Party Reform (PPP Reform) will comply with its rival group's request for it to change its name.

PPP Reform chairman Zainuddin MZ told supporters on Monday that changing his party's name was no big deal. He expressed optimism that bearing a new name would not hinder the party's bid to win public support, which is expected to come mostly from constituents of the already established PPP under Vice President Hamzah Haz.

"The public knows who we are and our track record, and we don't have any problems with public awareness of our party," Zainuddin, a noted cleric, said.

Zainuddin admitted that he met with Hamzah on Friday on the latter's invitation, but Hamzah claimed on Sunday that it was Zainuddin who invited him.

During the meeting, Hamzah asked Zainuddin not to associate his new party with the Muslim-based PPP.

"By changing the name both party members will no longer belittle each other," Zainuddin quoted Hamzah as saying.

Rumors have circulated that PPP Reform will pick "Reform Party" as its new name.

Zainuddin said his party would grow into a major one even though it would cut links with PPP.

"We are optimistic that we can develop into a big party. PPP grabbed only 11 percent of the vote in the 1999 election, meaning that the opportunity to win more votes remains wide open," Zainuddin said in the meeting held at the house of PPP Reform leader Fathi Haji Rahmatullah in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.

Most of the audience were Muslim clerics and native Betawi, the staunch followers of PPP.

Zainuddin also said he had discussed a possible reconciliation between the two rival groups with Hamzah.

He said that personally, he held no grudges against Hamzah any longer. But he was quick to add that he turned down Hamzah's request for him to return to PPP, saying that the PPP Reform party was already born.

"There were no deals made at all at the meeting. Hamzah made a reconciliation offer, and I will convey that to my party's colleagues," he said.

PPP has fired party members who support its splinter group.

In his one-and-a-half-hour speech, Zainuddin also announced that he and his friends would officially launch the new party on March 24 at the Gelora Bung Karno sports stadium.

However, he would not elaborate whether the party would officially announce the new name "the Reform Party" during its inauguration.

Several figures in PPP, including Zainuddin and Djafar Badjeber, declared the presence of the PPP splinter part in January. It followed an unsettled dispute over the party executives' decision to postpone the party's congress from 2003 to 2004.

PPP delayed the congress upon request of party chairman Hamzah, to enable him to run for the presidency in the next election.

Zainuddin had also bid to contest the presidential election.

Since the split, Zainuddin has frequently visited several areas in the capital where native Betawi live to build his new party's power base.