VP under fire for 'political visits'

VP under fire for 'political visits'

SURABAYA: Vice President Hamzah Haz has been accused of
misusing state funds in an early campaign for the 2004 elections.

East Java's vice chairman of The National Awakening Party
(PKB) Wahyudin Husein said on Tuesday that Hamzah was using
public money to visit Islamic boarding schools throughout the
country.

He accused Hamzah, also the leader of the United Development
Party (PPP), of carrying out disguised political campaigns for
his political group long before the general elections in 2004.

A similar criticism was also lodged by the local branch of the
National Mandate Party (PAN). It said Hamzah's political visits
to the province were "not a sympathetic move".

"What I am most worried about is that Hamzah has misused state
funds for the interests of his PPP and it is clearly an unethical
political culture which is akin to the New Order's style,"
Wahyudin said.

Using a helicopter, the Vice President paid a series of visits
to Islamic boarding schools across East Java, including those in
Madura, Sidoarjo, Probolinggo -- all known as PPP strongholds.

Sources in the province said Hamzah's visits were in the
interests of the party. That was why the East Java administration
did not provide him with maximum security protection during the
trips, they added.

Local PPP official Ghozi Siraj denied the allegations, saying
Hamzah visited the Islamic schools in his capacity as vice
president in a bid to let the people know about the government's
policies.--JP