Jakarta – The third national leaders meeting (Rapimnas) of the United Development Party (PPP) has announced that Emron Pangkapi will be the party's new chairman, according to a PPP official.

The PPP's executive board deputy secretary-general, Ichsan Muchsin, said on Monday that Emron's appointment as chairman, who is replacing former chairman and graft suspect Suryadharma Ali, was valid.

He said the executive board had instructed Emron to register new PPP officials with the Law and Human Rights Ministry to obtain legal standing.

"[The executive board] has instructed [newly elected] chairman Emron Pangkapi and secretary-general Romahurmuziy to register the new officials to the ministry," he said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.

On Sept. 9, an executive meeting at PPP headquarters voted in favor of dismissing Suryadharma, who had led the party since 2007, and appointed its deputy chairman, Emron, who was a staunch opponent of Suryadharma's, to head the party.

However, Suryadharma said on Sept. 12 that his dismissal from the party was invalid. He then hit back by dismissing secretary-general Romahurmuziy and his deputies, Emron Pangkapi, Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin and Suharso Monoarfa, for allegedly violating the party's charter by attempting to dismiss him. (alz)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/15/ppp-names-emron-pangkapi-new-chairman.html