Mardiono: Pak Suharso With Saya Sahabat, PPP Not Break Up

Plt Ketum PPP M Mardiono. (Antara)

JAKARTA - Acting General Chairperson (Ketum) of the United Development Party (PPP) Muhammad Mardiono said the party bearing the symbol of the Kaaba did not experience divisions despite a change of leadership.

"Once again I added a message that there is no conflict between PPP and PPP because Pak Suharso and I are friends, now those cadres think that the burden that is now being carried by him is necessary to prevent it from being centralized in him," said Mardiono in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Monday, September 13.

On September 9, 2022, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights approved Muhammad Mardiono as the Acting Head of PPP for the 2020-2025 term of service at the PPP office of Jalan Diponegoro Number 60 Central Jakarta.

The determination follows the PPP National Working Conference (Mukernas) which was attended by the chairman and secretary of 27 PPP DPWs throughout Indonesia and held in Serang, Banten on September 4, 2022, who decided to dismiss Suharso Monoarfa as General Chair and was replaced by Muhammad Mardiono as Acting General Chair.

Mardiono said that on Sunday, September 11, he had also met with Suharso Manoarfa in person.

"Yesterday, the meeting was in person. I am good with Pak Harso, nothing, my friends, both of whom are also his struggles at PPP, I also PPP, which was discussed by PPP politics, dynamics at PPP," said Mardiono.

The meeting, according to Mardiono, did not discuss whether the two of them were related.

"Islamah itu kalau ada konflik atau perketaan atau ada dua kampangan, sekarang ini tidak ada perketaan, tidak ada dua kampangan, islah-lah bagaimana? Tidak ada masalah kok di PPP, tidak ada kontrasi, tidak ada kesarakan, tidak ada," ujar Mardiono.

Mardiono said that currently Suharso as Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas is facing heavy state duties, including the G20 Summit.

"He sometimes leaves Indonesia abroad, and it takes days, it can also be 10 days, it can be two Mingggu. So that he does not have that heavy burden, also in other parties the party also has stages of the election and this requires hard work and needs special attention," added Mardiono.

Mardiono explained that the elite PPP wanted a division of tasks so that the interests of the party were maintained.

"There is no term dismissal, no, because the work-sharing process has been carried out since 3 months ago, maybe even 4 months so, there are no conflicts, all regions agree to consolidate nationally, after national consolidation at the central level as outlined in the results of Mukerwil is now being brought to the Banten area level, Lampung already, South Sumatra already, West Sumatra today is underway, Central Kalimantan today is taking place, it has received 11 regions," explained Mardiono.

Mardiono targets that in the next month internal consolidation will be completed at the provincial level so that it can be continued to the branch level, namely in districts/cities until the end of 2022.

"So that later after the political parties work according to their functions, namely political parties will work to heat up their politics, to work in grassroots for electoral work," said Mardiono.

Muhammad Mardiono currently serves as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres).

Based on Article 12 of Law No. 19 of 2006 concerning the Presidential Advisory Council, regulating the members of the Wantimpres should not concurrently be leaders of political parties. The regulation also states that the President's dismissal of the Wantimpres can be carried out through a letter of resignation.