DRAJAD AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES PAN'S VICE CHAIRMAN :AMIEN

Batam, Jan 9 (ANTARA) - The National Mandate Party (PAN)'s patron, Amien Rais, said Drajad Wibowo would automatically become the party's vice chairman after Hatta Radjasa was elected chairman by acclamation.

"Dradjad Wibowo will automatically be PAN's vice chairman," Rais told newsmen here on Saturday after the party's congress met in plenary to choose a new party leader.

Rais, a PAN co-founder, said the Hatta Radjasa and Dradjad Wibowo camps made a deal early on Saturday morning to elect Hatta Radjasa as the party's new chairman and Drajad Wibowo as vice chairman.

He said both Hatta and Drajad were valuable assets to the party so they should synergize to make the party big in the future.

"We are grateful that Hatta Radjasa has been chosen as the new party chairman by acclamation," he said.

Hatta Radjasa said when presenting his vision and mission as a candidate that he would strengthen the ideology and platform of PAN as a medium party.

Hatta who is also coordinating minister for economic affairs in the government also pledged to promote the system of caderization as an entry gate for stronger cadres to smoothen regeneration.

As a party born in the reform spirit, Hatta said, PAN must be critical but at the same time also give reformist solutions to various problems faced by the nation. "We must remain critical but also give reformist solutions," he said.

Drajad Wibowo meanwhile reminded the party that it must not forget its birth, which was supported by Muhammadiyah, one of the country's biggest Islamic organizations.

He said the party had emotional relationship with Muhammadiyah and therefore it was appropriate for Muhamadiyah cadres to be given proper appreciation while remaining open to other national potentials as the party is an open party.

On the occasion he reminded party cadres of the danger of "AIDS" which is an Indonesian acronym of "Aku Ingin Duit Sekarang" meaning "what I want now is money" or "I want to make as much money as possible", which had affected the cadres of many parties.

"As a reformist party we must be able to prove that we can live without 'AIDS.' Once we are affected, we will degenerate," he said.