"Whoever has been elected as PPP chairman at the end of the congress from July 3-7, 2011, should embrace the lost candidates along with their teams of success," Hamzah said after the opening of the congress here on Sunday.
He said the candidate who would finally emerge as the new chairman of PPP should embrace the other candidates who were not elected in the 6th National Congress.
Hamzah admitted that since the New Order era up to the present, PPP has lost 40 percent of votes in three general elections.
He said the decrease in the number of votes in the three general elections has also reduced the number of the PPP`s seats in Parliament.
PPP had 10 percent of the votes or 55 seats in Parliament in the 2004 general election but in 2009 the number of votes dropped 5 percent with only 36 seats in Parliament, Hamzah said after the opening of the congress.
The five-day congress to end on July 7 will discuss a three-point agenda covering politics, economy and people`s welfare.
The party is expected to elect a chairman at the Bandung congress. Three candidates will vie for the post, namely incumbent party chief Suryadharma Ali, chief of the party`s executive board Ahmad Muqowam and party cadre Ahmad Yani
Concerning the decline in the number of votes, Hamzah said PPP should need a reform to show its dignity and identity as an Islamic-based political party. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
