http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/edhie-to-retain-democratic-seat-amid-purge-of-anas-loyalists/586541
Edhie to Retain Democratic Seat Amid Purge of Anas Loyalists Robertus Wardi & Carlos Paath | April 18, 2013 Anas Urbaningrum, center, followed by Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, left, the son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, right. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal) A top Democratic Party official has denied reports that Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, the son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, had resigned as the party’s secretary general, amid an ongoing restructuring within the ruling party. Syarief Hasan, the party’s managing chairman, said on Wednesday that Edhie would remain in his post until his term was up in 2015. “He will stay on as secretary general,” Syarief, who is also the minister for cooperatives and small and medium enterprises, said in a text message. Sutan Bhatoegana, a Democrat legislator and member of the party’s central executive board, confirmed separately that Edhie was staying on and played down reports of a massive overhaul underway in the party hierarchy. “No one’s being pushed out. We’re just making minor adjustments,” he said. The restructuring, which Syarief said would be publicly announced on Sunday, will see Yudhoyono, the party’s chairman, appoint E.E. Mangindaan, the transportation minister, to replace him as the head of the Democrats’ board of advisers. Yudhoyono is also expected to give up his seat as head of the party’s ethics board to Amir Syamsuddin, the minister of justice and human rights. The changes come amid criticism that Yudhoyono was monopolizing all the top posts in the party since he was named chairman at the end of March to replace Anas Urbaningrum, who was dismissed after being named a suspect in a graft case. Another change that Syarief said would be made was the appointment of Deny Kailimang as the secretary of the ethics board, while Soekarwo, Nurhayati Ali Assegaf and Agus Hermanto would be promoted as deputy chairpersons. In addition, party spokeswoman Andi Nurpati will replace Nurhayati as one of the deputy secretaries general. Jero Wacik, the secretary of the board of advisers, denied that the changes were being made to sweep away any vestiges of the team built up by Anas since 2010. “There are no major changes, just a few members being moved around,” he said at the State Palace on Wednesday. However, a source inside the party alleged that the restructuring was aimed ultimately at weeding out any Anas loyalists from senior positions. The source, who asked not to be named, said that if Yudhoyono had no problems with those loyal to Anas, he would have appointed either Saan Mustofa, a deputy secretary general, or Gde Pasek Suardika, a spokesman, as a deputy chairman. “You’re going to see a lot of new names in many posts. That’s because SBY wants a fresh start,” the source said. The source added that other changes that looked likely included the replacement of Sartono Hutomo as party treasurer with Handoyo Mulyadi, the Democrats’ head of logistics. Sartono became treasurer in 2011 after Muhammad Nazaruddin, his predecessor and a close business partner of Anas, was charged with corruption. Nazaruddin, currently serving a seven-year sentence for bid-rigging, was instrumental in leveling the allegations that would eventually result in Anas being charged. The party source said that another sign of Yudhoyono’s anti-Anas purge was the likely dismissal of Pasek as spokesman, to be replaced by Hintja Pandjaitan. Michael Wattimena, another Anas loyalist, also looks set to lose his post as head of the party’s organizational guidance division, the source said. Comments maspanji11:23pm Apr 20, 2013 The President have followed the the advise of Singapore perpetual leader, Senior Minister LKY that leadership is a " GENETIC " thing, despite EBY never have a serious day job but being a clown in the circus called " parliament ". jchay3:18pm Apr 18, 2013 SBY spends too much time and Palace resources (all paid by hard-earned tax paying money) in managing Partai Demokrat! FITRA? KPK? We don't pay taxes for Partai Demokrat!!! zerodiversity2:58pm Apr 18, 2013 Why not purge the ones pulling the string in the party instead of moving people around? The core is still rotten. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
