"Pak (Mr) SBY personally contributed Rp100 million for holding this meeting. The contribution is in accordance with the existing regulations," Johny Allen Marbun, the meeting`s organizing committee chairman, said here on Sunday.
In addition to SBY, Democratic Party (DP) cadres holding ministerial posts donated Rp 50 million each, and those in Parliament Rp10 million each, he said.
The meeting was also financed with money from the party`s budget deriving from legislators from the Democratic Party, he added.
Marbun, who is also DP deputy chairman, explained that the meeting cost Rp5 billion including hotel accommodation for the participants from outside Java Island.
He said the budget of the meeting was clear and rational because the organizing committee did not bear transportation costs for participants as well as observers.
"Please ask the participants directly if you wish for a confirmation," Marbun said.
The ruling Democratic Party began its two-day coordination meeting on Saturday to consolidate its cadres amid alleged internal frictions and corruption allegations.
At the opening of the meeting, the party`s General Chairman Anas Urbaningrum called on the cadres to make use of the coordination meeting as a momentum to carry out internal consolidation and to show common solidarity and cooperation.
"Democratic Party cadres must be able to prove that the issue of internal frictions within the party is merely a public perception. Therefore, cadres must be able to always carry out internal consolidation until they show that their party is a big, modern and solid one," Anas said.(*)
(f001/H-NG/S012)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
