Nur Raihan Banda Aceh – Not long from now a local political party will enliven the political dynamics in Aceh. An embryonic Acehnese political party has already been officially launched.

The embryonic local party is called the Acehnese Peoples Party Preparatory Committee (KP-PRA) which already has representatives in 11 regencies/cities across Aceh.

“If in [after the draft] law on a government for Aceh [is ratified], local parties are accommodated in accordance with the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding, then next August we will proclaim the KP-PRA as a local party in Aceh”, KP-PRA chairperson Thamrin Ananda told Detik.com in Banda Aceh on Thursday March 16.

Ananda explained that if it turns out that local parties are still unable to be created after the draft law has been ratified, the KP-PRA will affiliate with one of the national political parties that has the same vision and mission as the KP-PRA.

Such a national party must be a party that wants a government that is clean, democratic, populist and free from foreign intervention. In addition to this they must place ordinary people as the subjects and not just as object during elections.

The declaration – that was held at a restaurant in Banda Aceh – was attended by around 600 people made up of KP-PRA cadres and sympathisers, most coming from Banda Aceh and Greater Aceh. Aside from students, the KP-PRA’s cadre and sympathisers also come from farmers and traders.

According to Ananda, 500 KP-PRA cadres are presently deployed in a number of regencies/cities across Aceh including Banda Aceh, Greater Aceh, Sigli, Bireun, North Aceh, Lhokseumawe, Central Aceh, West Aceh, Nagan Raya and South Aceh. (fjr)

[Translated by James Balowski.]