PPP representatives demand Yogie's apology

JAKARTA (JP): Representatives of the United Development Party (PPP) yesterday demanded Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. apologize for calling their chairman, Ismail Hasan Metareumm, sakit (sick).

Muhammad Mansur, a member of the PPP faction in the House of Representatives, told reporters that the party felt offended by Yogie's remark which was widely published by newspapers yesterday.

The PPP faction, he added, is lodging a "strong protest" about Yogie and he would soon write to the minister demanding an apology to alleviate the anger felt by PPP members and supporters.

Yogie, according to newspapers' accounts, made the remarks in response to Ismal Hasan's statement that the PPP had been "sidelined" under the current political system that is heavily dominated by Golkar, the dominant political group.

Ismail Hasan told a meeting with PPP members during the weekend that both minority parties, the PPP and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), have seen their roles reduced in the current political system.

In some regions, both parties are even considered by some as haram (forbidden by religion), he said.

Yogie, who as the home minister acts as chief supervisor of all three political organizations, denied that the minority political parties have been sidelined by the system.

"It was only his feeling...Maybe Buya was sick when he said that," the minister reportedly said.

Buya, a title for a respected religious expert or leader, is the term often used to refer to Ismail Hasan Metareum.

Meanwhile, the PPP Central Executive Board has endorsed its House faction's plan to ask the minister to apologize for the offending remark.

The board's deputy secretary-general, Muchsin Bafadal, lamented at Yogie's response to Ismail Hasan's statement.

"The statement by Buya should have been used as material for consideration and correction. He (Yogie) should not have been insulting," Muchsin said.

Ismail Hasan's response to the minister's remark was more circumspect.

In a statement distributed to the press, he said that his complaints were based on grievances he heard from PPP's members and cadres in the regions.

"They were disappointed at the treatment (by local administrations) and the policies that did not reflect any common endeavor between the political parties."

He said that since all political parties adopted Pancasila as their organizational ideology in 1983, the government should accord equal treatment and attention to Golkar, PPP and PDI.

Muchsin told reporters that PPP members in the regions faced discrimination. As an example, he said members are barred from running in local elections for village chief posts. "This treatment is tantamount to sidelining the party," he said.

On a separate occasion, senior PDI politician Soerjadi said he fully supported Ismail Hasan's assertion about poor treatment towards members of minority parties in the regions.

Soerjadi, a former PDI chairman, said he could not understand Yogie's denial because the allegation was true.

Rather than deny it, the government should contemplate the allegation and make the necessary corrections, he added. (emb)