Rifai Darus Elected New Chairman of KNP

Jayapura, Papua (Antara) - Muhammad Rifai Darus of Papua has been elected new chairman of the National Committee of Indonesian Youths (KNPI) during its 14th Congress held in Jayapura, Papua Province, Sunday. Darus defeated his rival, Ahmad Sahroni, in the second round of election that started on Saturday evening and ended on Sunday at 5 am local time. Eight candidates participated in the first round of the KNPI chairman election. The candidates were Ahmad Sahroni, Muhammad Rifai Darus, M Guntur, Maruli Silaban, Arif Mustofa, Arnold Udam, Bintang Prabowo, dan Abidam C Yadash. In the first round, Darus won 88 votes of the total 184 votes, and and Sahroni received 80 votes. And in the second round, Darus grabbed 121 votes and Sahroni 63. Earlier, Vice President Jusuf Kalla in his opening remarks delivered during the congress\'s opening ceremony expressed his hope that members of the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI) do not compete in politics to ensure that the dozens of youth organizations it oversees in the country stay united. \"If the KNPI takes part in the political sector, it will split, as has been the case in many organizations,\" he said in the Papua provincial city of Jayapura on Thursday. (*)