Suryadharma, currently the Religious Affair Minister was elected after the vote count reached 594 of 1,180 votes, in the conference taking place in Panghegar Hotel here early on the day.
Two other candidates, Akhmad Muqowam just reached about 220 votes and Ahmad Yani obtained 33 votes at the moment.
The conference participants that supported Suryadharma Ali began voicing their joy, but the voting organizing committee chairperson, Hasrul Azwar, asked the participants several times to remain calm.
Three of the party`s noted figures - Suryadharma Ali, Ahmad Muqowam and Ahmad Yani competed for the party`s top leadership in Bandung from July 3 through 7, 2011.
In the PPP`s National Conference in Jakarta from January 30 through February 3, 2007, Suryadharma Ali emerged as the new party chairman replacing Hamzah Haz.
During President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s first term of office, Suryadharma served as Minister of Cooperatives and State and Medium Enterprises in the Cabinet.
PPP came sixth in the 2009 legislative election with 5.3 percent of the votes.
Prior to Suryadharma Ali`s term of office, PPP was led by Muhammad Syafaat Mintareja (1973-1978), Jaelani Naro (1978-1989), Ismail Hasan Metareum (1989-1998) and Hamzah Haz (1998-2007).
Around 11,500 people among others the participants and observers attended the conference opening ceremony.
From East Java alone, more than 1,000 observers left for Bandung by tents of buses. Meanwhile, hundreds of the party`s members from North Sumatra province also enlivened the congress.(*)
(T.R024/B003)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
