PPP to elect chairman in 2003

PPP to elect chairman in 2003

JAKARTA: The United Development Party (PPP) will likely convene a congress to elect the party's next chairman in 2003, one year ahead of its original schedule, PPP co-chairman Tosari Wijaya said on Monday.

"The decision will be made during a meeting of the PPP central board and will be taken to the party's national working meeting for endorsement in July 2002," he said.

The PPP, the third largest faction in the House of Representatives, was scheduled to hold the congress in 2003 but later postponed it to 2004 at the request by its top chairman, Hamzah Haz, who is also vice president.

The delay sparked a bitter rift within the PPP, prompting some party executives led by noted Muslim preacher Zainuddin M.Z. to set up a separate party called PPP Reformasi (reform).

Speaking after meeting Hamzah, Tosari, also a deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), said most executives of the PPP central board wanted the holding of the party's congress to be rescheduled for 2003. --Antara