Rachmawati Removed as Advisory Council Chief

Jakarta (Antara) - The National Democratic Party (NasDem) has removed Rachmawati Soekarnoputri from her position as the party's Advisory Council chief. "During the meeting this evening, decision was taken to remove Rachmawati Soekarnoputri from the party post because of sharp difference of views," NasDem Secretary General Patrice Rio Capella told at a press conference here on Tuesday. The decision was taken after NasDem's General Chairman Surya Paloh and the executives of NasDem's Supreme Council and Advisory Council held an internal meeting. Patrice noted that the meeting on a consensus basis had decided to remove Rachmawati, who is also the younger sister of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, from the executive post. He pointed out that NasDem had taken the decision as Rachmawati views were not in line with the party's ethics, organizational discipline, and goal of struggle. He added that the party had given oral reprimand to Rachmawati with regard to her support to Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto. NasDem is one of the political parties in the alliance that has supported presidential candidate Joko Widodo. (*)