Bitter PKB internal conflict grows wider<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Awakening Party (PKB) has still not been able to
\nreconcile its two opposing camps, with both continuing to show
\noff their power and support.<\/p>\n
The PKB camp led by House of Representatives deputy speaker
\nMuhaimin Iskandar ended its two-day meeting in Jakarta on
\nWednesday, while the rival camp chaired by chief welfare minister
\nAlwi Shihab is gearing up for a similar forum in Yogyakarta on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
The Alwi camp claimed their upcoming meeting will be attended
\nby 896 participants, including influential clerics and executives
\nof PKB regional branches.<\/p>\n
The Wednesday meeting, which Muhaimin claimed was attended by
\nleaders of all PKB branches and ulema across Indonesia, decided
\nto take stern action against those opposed to his leadership and
\nto bring Alwi and Saifullah Yusuf to court for allegedly forging
\nparty symbols.<\/p>\n
\"The authenticity of the PKB symbol is clear, and Alwi uses
\nthe wrong one because it says the party's office is domiciled in
\nKalibata (South Jakarta),\" PKB legal advisor Firman Wijaya told
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
\"We will file the lawsuit this week,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The PKB split into two camps after its April national congress
\nin the Central Java capital of Semarang, which elected Muhaimin
\nas new executive chairman and retained former president
\nAbdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid as chief patron.<\/p>\n
Alwi deemed the congress illegitimate, because it failed to
\ninclude him and Saifullah, the current State Minister for the
\nDevelopment of Disadvantaged Regions.<\/p>\n
The two were suspended as PKB chairman and secretary-general
\nrespectively after joining the Cabinet last October. They are
\nsuing the party's central board over their suspensions, which
\nthey say violated the party's statutes.<\/p>\n
The camps are running into dead-ends in their efforts toward
\nreconciliation, failing to agree as to whether or not the
\ncongress should be held again and an extraordinary election held.<\/p>\n
Eager to show off their support, the Alwi camp claimed that
\nits own meeting has been supported by 150 representatives from 22
\nout of the 32 PKB regional branches, 618 clerics, and hundreds of
\nothers from the woman's and youth wings.<\/p>\n
The meeting is also to discuss the holding of a national
\ncongress to replace the April forum.<\/p>\n
\"We'll hold a new election, and of course, Muhaimin will be
\nallowed to contest,\" said legislator Khofifah Indar Parawansa.<\/p>\n
She added that a meeting of 21 influential clerics in Rembang,
\nCentral Java, on May 20 decided to throw their support behind
\nAlwi and Saifullah, claiming that their suspensions were
\nillegitimate.<\/p>\n
Khofifah also said all party regional branches had been
\ninvited to attend, including those present at the Jakarta meeting
\nhosted by Muhaimin.<\/p>\n
\"At least three branches attending Muhaimin's meeting have
\nconfirmed their attendance at ours. We'll also invite Muhaimin
\nand Gus Dur,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Khofifah said the fact that there were two different national
\nmeetings represented an opportunity for both camps to review
\ntheir relative strength and to consider peaceful reconciliation.<\/p>\n
\"But if court is the only place to find the solution, then so
\nbe it,\" added the former women's empowerment minister.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bitter-pkb-internal-conflict-grows-wider-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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