SBY’s party fires W. Java chairwoman

Written by Writer on Friday, October 24th, 2008

SBY’s party fires W. Java chairwoman

Fri, 10/24/2008 1:38 PM | The Archipelago

BANDUNG, W. Java: Former West Java Military commander Maj. Gen. Ret. Iwan Sulandjana was unanimously elected as chairman of the provincial chapter of the Democratic Party, the party of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday evening.

In the extraordinary meeting held at Savoy Homann Hotel in Bandung, Iwan, the only candidate, replaced chairwoman Adjeng Ratna Suminar.

“We hope the party can progress if it is led by a former military figure,” Helmi Attamimi, an executive of the party’s provincial chapter, said.

Hundreds of women staged rallies in front of the venue of the meeting, which started two days ago, protesting the replacement of Adjeng whose leadership term was not due to end until 2011.

The women protested the intervention of the party’s central board in the replacement of Adjeng, who is also a businesswoman from the province.

“The leadership challenge was conducted in a democratic way based on the aspirations of the party’s municipal chapters. It’s not about gender,” a party executive, Didin Supriadin, said. — JP