Several top PAN executives finally submit resignations
JAKARTA (JP): After a week of propositions and speculation, 16 National Mandate Party (PAN) members finally submitted their resignations from the party on Sunday, saying that much of the party's agenda violated the initial platform of the organization.
In a press briefing on Sunday, one of the party's founders, Faisal Basri, and PAN's Deputy Secretary General Bara Hasibuan announced their formal resignation, along with those of 14 other members.
"We believe that in the fight for democracy, especially in this transitional period, PAN is no longer an effective and appropriate political organization for us," Faisal said.
"We are not sure that PAN is consistent with its initial ideology of fighting for the reform agenda. As our moral responsibility to the people and to ourselves, we decided to resign from PAN," he continued.
He underlined that the resignation was not a result of personal frustration with specific people inside the party, but admitted that he was very disappointed with what happened inside the party recently.
Faisal was the first PAN member alluding to any separation last week, saying that many of the party's actions and decisions had been too focused on short-term political interests rather than the reform agenda.
It was also reported that one of the main reasons for the resignation was the party's decision to accept certain figures with questionable backgrounds, such as former finance minister Fuad Bawazier.
Among those who followed Faisal's lead include PAN's Deputy Secretary General Bara Hasibuan, one of the party's founders Toety Herati, and member of the party's advisory body K. Sindhunatha.
More resignations were submitted by: head of the economic, finance and industry commission Arif Arryman; head of the natural resources, energy, fishery and environment commission M.Nawir Messy; head of the foreign affairs training department Bernardus Djonoputro; head of the culture department Amir Sidharta; Nanang S. Dirdja; Indra J. Pilliang; Sigit Murshidi; Irham Dilmy; Sjahril Djalil; Dendi Ramdani; Leon Agusta; and Rubiana Fadjar.
Separately, PAN's Secretary General Hatta Radjasa told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that the party has not yet received a formal resignation letter.
"No, they have not submitted formal notification to us. Actually we are sorry that they prefer to go to the public first before giving a letter to us. But we cannot stop them, we have tried to talk to them," Hatta said.
He stressed that the party will not be affected by the resignations, as only 16 of the 350-member executive board resigned. (dja)