Walkout mars Hamzah's reelection as PPP chief
Walkout mars Hamzah's reelection as PPP chief
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A further split has cast a shadow over the United Development
Party (PPP), the nation's largest Muslim-based party, as a
walkout spoiled the finale of its four-day congress on Friday.
With his reelection as party chairman a foregone conclusion,
Hamzah Haz would now need to reconcile with his solitary
contender, Bachtiar Chamsyah, who walked out of the meeting to
form the party's new board of executives.
Bachtiar left the meeting room in disappointment as his bid
for the post of deputy chairman was denied by Hamzah, who headed
the seven-member team of selectors following his unanimous win in
the election earlier in the day.
Instead of choosing Bachtiar, the party's team picked H.
Alimarwan Hanan. The party also named former information minister
Lt. Gen. (ret) Yunus Yosfiah its secretary-general.
Bachtiar told reporters afterwards that he would focus on his
job as social affairs minister.
He acknowledged that he had wanted the position of deputy
chairman or secretary-general but Hamzah's rejection had prompted
him to quit the meeting.
Five of the selectors were Hamzah's supporters, namely Ahmad
Thoyfur, Endin AJ Soefihara, Hafidz Ma'soem, H. Alimarwan Hanan,
and Yunus Yosfiah. Two other members were Bachtiar and his only
aide Husni Thamrin.
Hamzah, who will lead the party until 2008, is also the Vice
President, while Alimarwan is the State Minister of Cooperatives
and Small and Medium Enterprises.
Hamzah, who is preparing himself for the presidential election
next year, lived up to his promise to recruit younger cadres to
fill the positions in the 37-strong central board of executives.
The congress' steering committee chairman Zarkasih Nur
disclosed that 60 percent of positions in the central board went
to young politicians.
"The inclusion of more politicians from the younger generation
would bear well for the future of the party," he said.
Regarding the number of woman politicians, Zarkasih
acknowledged that the party had been unable to meet the
recommended quota of 30 percent.
The party went into the congress following a year of internal
dispute, which saw some of its members led by prominent preacher
Zainuddin MZ break away and form their own party after Hamzah
rejected their demand for a snap congress. The congress was
eventually moved forward from its original schedule in 2004, but
the deserters refused to come back.
In the latest election in 1999, PPP won 58 seats in the House
of Representatives to become the third largest faction in the
legislative body.
Many doubt that PPP would be able to repeat its performance in
the coming election due to the fractions within the party.
However, former deputy secretary-general Djuhad Mahja
expressed optimism that the party would fare better next year
under Hamzah.
"Hamzah will lead the party to success as he enjoys full
support from chapters in East Java, Central Java, West Java,
Kalimantan, and other PPP strongholds," Djuhad said.
Senior legislator Barlianta Harahap concurred, saying that
PPP's future would be brighter thanks to Hamzah and the presence
of former state officials, retired military officers and
businessmen in the party.
The central board's structure consists of a chairman, a deputy
chairman, a secretary-general, a deputy secretary-general, 15 co-
chairpersons, 15 secretaries, a treasurer, and two deputy
treasurers.