PPP representatives demand Yogie's apology

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)