PBB CADRES PERMITTED TO SUPPORT CANDIDATES OTHER THAN SBY-BOEDIONO

Medan, June 18 (ANTARA) - Crescent Star Party (PBB) cadres are permitted to support presidential and vice presidential candidates other than Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Boediono but in a purely individual capacity, regional PBB leader said.

"For individual interest, party cadres are free to support other presidential and vice presidential candidates but for the party's organizational interest, we have to support the SBY-Boediono pair," PBB's North Sumatra regional executive board chairman Banuaran Ritonga said here on Thursday.

Ritonga made the statement in response to a question raised by a PBB cadre, Indra Syafii, whether he could support another presidential and vice presidential pair instead of the SBY-Boediono duo.

Indra Syafii also questioned PBB's commitment as an Islam-based party to the establishment of Islamic Syariah Law in Indonesia by its support for Yudhoyono and Boediono.

"We are an Islam-based party and if we really have a commitment to Syariah Law in Indonesia, we should support the Jusuf Kalla-Wiranto pair in the presidential election," Indra Syafii said.

He also questioned PBB's continuing support for Yudhyono while two of the PBB's three cadres in the cabinet had been sidelined and eventually forced to quit the cabinet.

"If we want to improve the party, cadres should be permitted to support the presidential candidate of their own choice," Indra Syafii said.

In response to Idra Syafii's questions, Banuaran Ritonga, who was accompanied by PBB officials Marasutan Ritonga and Kevi Novlianhar, said the party's cadres were free to support a pair other than Yudhoyono and Boediono.

"Individually, you are free to support whoever you want but as an organization we have to support the SBY-Boediono ticket. You can support another ticket of your own choice but, in line with the party advisory board's directive, you can do so without carrying the party's attributes," Ritonga said.

He said the same policy was also adopted by other political parties committed to support the Yudhoyono-Boediono ticket.

"For example, 58 percent of National Mandate Party (PAN) cadres support the Jusuf Kalla-Wiranto pair without a sanction from the party, and thus we can also do the same thing but without bringing along the party's name and attributes," Ritonga said.