Jakarta, Feb 17 (Antara) - The Leadership Meeting of the ruling
Democratic Party (PD) ended on Sunday without a surprise decision as
many quarters have previously speculated, namely the ouster of the
party's general chairman Anas Urganingrum.
"What I am saying now probably disappoint those who are probably
waiting for a big news from the national leadership meeting," Chairman
of PD's Supreme Council Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a press conference
after the meeting here on Sunday.
In his capacity as chairman of the PD's Supreme Council, Yudhoyono
said that the party's national leadership meeting did not make a
surprising decision as many has expected.
An observer has earlier said Anas Urbaningrum's future as chief of the
ruling Democrat Party could be determined at the party's national
leadership meeting in the Sunday Caucus.
"I think Anas Urbaningrum's future would become the top issue to be
discussed at the meeting tomorrow," observer Hanta Yudha said at a
discussion on "Polemic: Democrat Tsunami" on Saturday.
Speculations of forthcoming ouster of Anas surfaced following a
statement by Yudhoyono, who is also the party's chief patron, that he
would take reins of the party, while Anas could focus on facing his
legal matters linked to the Hambalang sports center construction
scandal.
Yudhoyono recently said in a press conference that he would assume
leadership of the Democratic Party, asking Anas to concentrate on his
legal standing amid graft allegations and ongoing corruption probes to
which he has been linked.
Some senior party members had urged Anas to step down and asked
Yudhoyono to take a concrete action to save the party after polls showed
the popularity of the ruling party had sunk below that of the coalition
partner Golkar Party and the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDIP).
According a survey conducted in October last year, the electability of
the Democratic Party was only 6.91 percent in the forth position after
Golkar (19.71 percent), the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggles
(PDI-P) 16.72 percent and the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party.
However, speculations that the leadership meeting would discuss the fate of Anas's departure were not proven on Sunday.
Democratic Party figure Marzuki Alie had earlier also denied that the
party would replace its present general chairman, Anas Urbaningrum. "I
can assure you that there has never been any discourse so far or talks
on replacing the present general chairman," Marzuki Alie, the deputy
chairman of the party's board of patrons, said on Thursday.
"We will indeed conduct cleansing but it will only be done after there
is a legal decision. With regard to Anas's status so far there has not
been any legal decision about it. He has not even been named a witness.
So, please do not create a discourse or stories as if he would indeed be
replaced," he explained.
"Once again, I confirm that there is no plan to replace the general chairman," he said.
Yudhoyono
who is also the country's president, said during the press conference
on Sunday that there were rumors circulating in the public of late which
in essence tried to pit himself as the chairman of the high assembly
against Anas Urbaningrum as the general chairman of the Democratic
Party.
"We are both sit together in the assembly. I sit in the party's Supreme
Council as chairman and Anas as vice chairman. The members of the
supreme council represent the party's board of patrons, honorary council
and central executive board," he said.
He said that if the Supreme Council was leading a salvaging step, that
would mean that Anas Urbaningrum as the party's general chairman was
also included in it. "We have the obligation to resolve the problem
right now, particularly with regard to the party's (declining)
electability and people's support," he said.
He said that the Supreme Council was taking salvaging efforts because
if the problems being faced by the party were only handled by the
party's general chairman, it would not produce satisfactory results.
"That's why I have to intervene together with other rank and file of
the Supreme Council to give response to and overcome the problem," he
said.
Yudhoyono explained that the supreme Council was doing its best to
salvage the party, namely to put in order the organization and to
cleanse elements that could tarnish the party's reputation.
According to Andi Nurpati, a Democratic Party associate chairwoman,
Yudhoyono's remarks gave an emphasis that there would be no replacement
of the party's general chairman and extra-ordinary congress.
"Yudhoyono was motivating cadres to jointly work in improving the
party's declining electability," said Andi adding that there was no
directive requesting the ouster of the party general chairman.
In his response, Anas Urbaningrum said meanwhile that Yudhoyono's
address in his capacity as the chairman of the Supreme Council of the
party was very clear.
"The message of Yudhoyono's address is clear. He delivered his
directives in details and clearly so that there is no need to make
unnecessary interpretation," Anas said after the closing of the party's
leadership meeting.
He said Yudhoyono in his address had clearly explained about internal
problems and the steps to be taken to resolve them.
With the salvaging efforts, Yudhoyono believed that the future of the party would remain bright.
"After the Democrat Party put its house in order, it will immediately
resume to work for the people," he told the press conference at the
venue of the meeting.
He said that the meeting had deliberately not discussed the party's
preparations for the general elections in 2014 yet as focus was still
put on settling the party's problems.
He said the party had dealt with negative opinions in the past few
months following the conviction of some of its cadres in corruption
cases. "They have hurt the Democrat Party very much," he said.***1***
(T.A014/S012)
(T.A014/A/A. Abdussalam/Suharto) 18-02-2013 00:06:3 |
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