Amien Rais Forms A New Party, PAN Can Lose Its Identity

Amien Rais (Photo: PAN.or.id)

JAKARTA - Founder of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Muhammad Yunus said the new party to be formed by Amien Rais is believed to be able to penetrate the national political scene. The reason is that apart from preparing the infrastructure for the party, this party is claimed to be eagerly awaited by the public.

"Like a political party, we have prepared the party infrastructure down to the branch level. Regarding support, you can see the public's enthusiastic response to support the party initiated by Pak Amien Rais," said Yunus when contacted by VOI via text message, Monday, May 11.

Yunus also explained that currently, there have been a number of national figures who have opened direct communication with Amien Rais regarding this new party. It's just that, when asked further about the character's name, he did not want to elaborate further.

"I cannot comment on the names of the characters, because (the characters) communicate directly with Pak Amien Rais," he said.

As for party strength, he said, PAN cadres loyalist Amien Rais would certainly join this party, including Hanafi Rais, who had just resigned from PAN management.

Given, this new party was formed as an effort to completely correct PAN which is considered to have deviated from the ideals of its founders.

"This means that today PAN has lost its identity as a party that was born from the womb of reform," he said.

Regarding the name of the party, Yunus is still not sure which name will be used because it is still in the final drafting stage. There are three names of parties that are still being discussed, namely the People's Mandate Party, the Reform Mandate Party and the Reform Mandate Party.

Meanwhile, the time for the party's declaration, he said, had not yet been determined considering that currently the spread of COVID-19 was still happening.

"The preparatory committee is currently working on (name of the party), this process is all. For the declaration, the time has not yet been determined because of the COVID-19 and PSBB conditions," said Yunus.

Amien Rais' new party can move, as long as ...

A political observer from Al-Azhar University Indonesia, Ujang Komarudin, assessed that this new party would be able to survive and break through political contestation on the national stage. Given that there are so many supporters of Amien Rais in the world of politics.

According to him, Amien Rais' new party will be different from the previous National Mandate Party (PAN), namely the National Sun Party (PMB). Because, at that time Amien had not yet left PAN.

"There used to be a splinter party (splinter) PAN. The National Sun Party (PMB). PMB could not compete with PAN because Amien Rais was still in PAN and unable to take the base of the Muhammadiyah era," said Ujang.

So that with Amien's resignation from PAN, he thinks this will at least affect his supporters. Moreover, if after this new party was formed, Amien could immediately carry out guerrillas in the middle of the Muhammadiyah base.

"Amien Rais' strength is the founder of PAN and also the former chairman of Muhammadiyah. If he guerrillas to take the basis of the Muhamadiyah era with his new party, this could be a threat to PAN Zulhas camp," he concluded.