Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The United Development Party on Friday pledged to support President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono until 2014 despite calls from some groups within the party to leave the government coalition.
"We are the front guard of the government – PPP cadres will remain in the cabinet," Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali, also general chairman of the party known as PPP, said during a national party meeting at the Hotel Borobudur Jakarta on Friday. Suharso Monoarfa, the public housing minister, is also from the PPP.
Suryadharma was criticized by some senior party officials when the PPP followed the government to oppose the House of Representatives inquiries into the Bank Century scandal and tax mafia cases.
On Friday he asked PPP members to understand that being in the cabinet would give the party more opportunity to warn the government of bad policies.
"We will become the first to warn the government if it deviated from the pro-public policy," said the minister, who has been controversial for advocating the disbandment of the minority Islamic Ahmadiyah group.
The party's national coordination meeting on Friday gathered hundreds of the group's leaders from across the country to discuss rules pertaining to the election of the next general chairman.
Party members have speculated that at least two candidates could challenge Suryadharma to lead the party: Ahmad Muqowam, a senior PPP lawmaker, and Muchdi Purwoprandjono, a former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) official and former member of the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra). He was earlier acquitted of the murder of activist Munir Said Thalib.
Muchdi left Gerindra in February to join PPP. Rumors at the time suggested he planned to nominate himself for the chairmanship, although he has yet to make a statement on the matter.
Muqowam on Thursday night publicly announced his readiness to run as candidate to become the next top leader of the party. "There are many requests from local PPP members for me to run as the next general chairman. Now I am ready to bring substantial reform to this party," he said.