"PDIP supports the Aceh Party because it is the only political party that clearly stands for the Aceh Administration Law as a manifestation of the region`s special status," Karimun Usman, chairman of PDIP`s Aceh chapter, said here on Saturday.
He said PDIP`s support was inseparable from the role played by the leaders of the former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) that has now transformed into the Aceh Party and contributed to the enactment of the Aceh special autonomy law.
"We cannot ignore the fact that the special status of Aceh and all the authority attached to the law were the result of a long struggle waged by Aceh people now gathered in the Aceh Party," he said.
He said the PDIP`s decision would be officially made known to the public next week. "PDIP will soon hold a meeting to make political recommendations and a full commitment to supporting and helping Zaini Abdullah/Muzakir Manaf win the election," he said.
He said Aceh was a special region whose status had been regulated in Article 18-B of the 1945 Constitution. Therefore a strong political stance was needed from political elements in Aceh to maintain and safeguard it.
"Today, only the Aceh Party has been consistently safeguarding the UUPA and it is this stance that has made PDIP `fall in love` with the party," he said.
He said the PDIP Aceh chapter`s stance was also the national stance of the party.
"One of the recommendations made at the party`s national meeting in Manado recently was that we will ask the central government to postpone the stages of the regional elections until after all the regulatory problems are solved," he said.
(T.KR-IRW/H-YH/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
