JAKARTA. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has given an indication of his full trust in Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Andi Malarangeng on the latter's statement regarding last week's chaotic congress of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI)."Basically, the government has authorized the sports and youth affairs minister to [decide on the] PSSI. The President fully trusts the minister, who surely has conducted an assessment and evaluation," Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said Monday.He said that what the minister said was "the official government stance."On Monday, Andi said the government was waiting for an official decision from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) regarding last week's PSSI congress, which broke down after a number of delegates who said they had been banned from the meeting due to their demands to reform the association stormed in the event. Members of the organizing committee fled, but the congress in Pekanbaru, Riau, continued nonetheless, and 78 of the 100 voters chose a number of names for the election team and appeal team for the upcoming election of the association's new chairman. Earlier, the PSSI received a warning letter from FIFA, calling for an immediate revision of the statutes and a congress to elect a new PSSI chairman to replace the troubled incumbent Nurdin Halid before April 30.Andi also said that government had refused to acknowledge the leadership of Nurdin Halid and PSSI secretary-general Noegraha Besoes. (The Jakarta Post)
SBY 'fully trusts' sports minister's stance on PSSI
JAKARTA. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has given an indication of his full trust in Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Andi Malarangeng on the latter's statement regarding last week's chaotic congress of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI)."Basically, the government has authorized the sports and youth affairs minister to [decide on the] PSSI. The President fully trusts the minister, who surely has conducted an assessment and evaluation," Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said Monday.He said that what the minister said was "the official government stance."On Monday, Andi said the government was waiting for an official decision from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) regarding last week's PSSI congress, which broke down after a number of delegates who said they had been banned from the meeting due to their demands to reform the association stormed in the event. Members of the organizing committee fled, but the congress in Pekanbaru, Riau, continued nonetheless, and 78 of the 100 voters chose a number of names for the election team and appeal team for the upcoming election of the association's new chairman. Earlier, the PSSI received a warning letter from FIFA, calling for an immediate revision of the statutes and a congress to elect a new PSSI chairman to replace the troubled incumbent Nurdin Halid before April 30.Andi also said that government had refused to acknowledge the leadership of Nurdin Halid and PSSI secretary-general Noegraha Besoes. (The Jakarta Post)