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Hatta loyalists forming mass organization

Following a loss in the recent National Mandate Party (PAN) chairmanship race, former chief Hatta Rajasa and his loyalists are preparing to set up a mass organization

Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, March 16, 2015

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Hatta loyalists forming mass organization

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ollowing a loss in the recent National Mandate Party (PAN) chairmanship race, former chief Hatta Rajasa and his loyalists are preparing to set up a mass organization.

Once officially introduced to the public, the organization is expected to be an independent new group that will not be affiliated to PAN, although the majority of its members will consist of current PAN members, according to Sulisyowati, a loyalist who was a deputy secretary-general during Hatta'€™s 2010-2015 ruling period.

Although the organization was expected to host PAN members who remained loyal to Hatta, Sulistyowati told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that it would also be a home to outsiders who shared the same dreams for change.

'€œIt will extend beyond PAN,'€ she said, adding that the founders of the mass organization were still expecting a blessing from Hatta before an introduction to the public slated to take place next week.

While waiting for a final say from Hatta, Sulistyowati and her colleagues have also nominated PAN'€™s former deputy chairman Drajad Wibowo and PAN executive Tjatur Sapto Edy, who were both involved in Hatta'€™s campaign team, as chairman and secretary-general, respectively, of the mass organization to be called Harapan Rakyat Indonesia (Indonesia'€™s New Hope).

Drajad and Tjatur had tendered their resignations as soon as a PAN national congress early this month declared Zulkifli, who is Speaker of the People'€™s Consultative Assembly (MPR), the winner over incumbent Hatta in a tight vote.

Hatta lost the race by six votes.

After leading the party for five years, Hatta should have given up the PAN chairmanship to Zulkifli after the latter secured 292 of the total 584 votes.

While Drajad resigned from his post the day after the announcement, Tjatur officially tendered his resignation as leader of PAN'€™s faction at the House of Representatives last week, despite encouragement from Zulkifli to stay.

Tjatur referred to his insistence to leave the post as an act needed to '€œfind a new atmosphere'€.

Both Drajad and Tjatur have yet to comment on the matter.

The plan to set up such an organization seems to confirm the escalating rift within PAN following the tension between two distinguishing factions within the party; however, Hatta emphasized that he would forever belong to PAN.

'€œI am one of the founders. It'€™s impossible for me to leave PAN,'€ Hatta said in responding to queries on the matter.

He, however, refused to comment and only smiled when asked further about the establishment of the mass organization by his loyalists.

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