Tosari named new deputy speaker

Tosari named new deputy speaker

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) deputy
chairman Tosari Wijaya has been chosen to replace his party chief
Hamzah Haz as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives,
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said on Wednesday.

"Tosari will be installed in a plenary session on Dec. 6,"
Akbar said.

Tosari, 59, is believed to have edged out PPP secretary
general Ali Marwan Hanan to take over Hamzah's seat during a
meeting of the PPP Faction in the House.

Tosari and Ali were nominated as deputy speakers following
Hamzah's appointment as coordinating minister for people's
welfare and poverty eradication.

The appointment of Tosari could spark friction within the
party as both Tosari and Hamzah are from the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
Muslim Organization.

"Maybe there will be dissatisfaction. But all parties will
accept it since it had been decided," Tosari said on Wednesday.

Ali had said earlier that the House's deputy speaker post
should be given to someone not affiliated to NU, saying that a
number of NU politicians had already taken up various strategic
posts.

State Minister for Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises
Zarkasih Nur is another senior NU member, while President
Abdurrahman Wahid himself only relinquished his chairmanship of
NU last week.

NU is one of four Islamic parties merged into PPP in 1972. The
organization pulled out of PPP in 1984 because of discord with
the other factions.

Hamzah, himself, is also embroiled in controversy following
his resignation as coordinating minister of people's welfare and
poverty eradication.

He was replaced on Tuesday by Basri Hasanuddin.

There is speculation that his resignation may be linked to the
investigation of alleged corruption by Cabinet ministers and his
disapproval of Abdurrahman's desire to open trade ties with
Israel.

Hamzah has denied these suggestions saying that he merely
wanted to focus more attention on party affairs.

The process of Hamzah's resignation itself continues to be a
sore point of contention, with PPP officials describing Hamzah's
departure as a "dismissal" rather than a resignation.

Tosari claimed there was a "miscommunication" between Hamzah
and Abdurrahman.

He said that Hamzah had in the past verbally indicated that he
was contemplating resignation, however, what he wanted most of
all from the President was a public clarification on rumors that
he was being investigated for graft.

Instead Abdurrahman, upon his arrival from an overseas trip,
immediately said he accepted Hamzah's resignation.

Tosari said the central board of PPP would hold a two-day
leadership meeting on Sunday and ask the President to clear up
the matter.

Tosari asserted that as a party which helped Abdurrahman win
the presidency, there should also be further "political
compensations" in the form of Cabinet posts, ambassadorships or
seats on the Supreme Advisory Council.

Rusdi Hamka, chairman of the PPP faction in the House also
underlined the importance of the President clarifying the matter
further and retorting allegations that PPP executives were
involved in corruption.

"Otherwise the future of PPP will be bleak," he said. (jun)