Gus Dur rejects Syaifullah's bid<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Ahead of the National Awakening Party (PKB) congress in Semarang
\nnext week, its influential founder Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid
\nhas refused to endorse the bid of State Minister for the
\nDevelopment of Disadvantaged Regions Syaifullah Yusuf to contest
\nthe party's top post.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said he approved the nomination of former defense
\nchief Mahfud M.D, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker
\nMuhaimin Iskandar and House legislator Ali Masykur Musa, and
\nconsidered PKB deputy chairman Muhammad A.S. Hikam and another
\nparty executive Lalu Misbakh Hidayat dark horses in the race.<\/p>\n
PKB deputy chairman Andi Muawiyah Ramly said on Thursday that
\nIndonesia's former president gave his blessing to the three
\ncandidates during a plenary meeting late on Wednesday. All party
\nexecutives supported Gus Dur's decision, Ramly added.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur said he wished to improve the party's image and
\nchange it into a political party for the youth,\" Ramly told a
\npress conference at the party's headquarters in Kalibata, East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Syaifullah and Alwi Shihab were dismissed as the party's
\nsecretary-general and chairman respectively after they took up
\nministerial posts under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's
\nCabinet last October, The party's standing orders bans its
\nexecutives from serving as government officials to a prevent
\nconflict of interests and abuse of power.<\/p>\n
In the run-up to the congress, both Alwi and Syaifullah are
\ncontesting the party decision in court.<\/p>\n
Pressure has mounted for Gus Dur to let Syaifullah vie for the
\nPKB leadership.<\/p>\n
Clerics Muhaiminan Gunardo and Ubaidillah Faqih of influential
\nLangitan Muslim boarding school visited Gus Dur earlier on
\nThursday at his office at Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) headquarters to
\nask the latter to help revoke the decision to dismiss Syaifullah
\nand Alwi.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur, however, insisted that both Alwi and Syaifullah
\nagreed to leave their executive posts when the party's plenary
\nmeeting asked them to do so.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not in a capacity to review such a dismissal alone, as
\nall party executives, including Pak Alwi and Syaifullah, were
\ninvolved in the decision back then. It was Pak Alwi who led the
\nmeeting that resulted in his and Syaifullah's dismissal,\" Gus Dur
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur challenged Syaifullah's move, while warning him not to
\nmix state affairs with the party's internal affairs.<\/p>\n
\"I'm looking forward to fighting him in court. One thing that
\nhe must understand is that the state cannot interfere in a
\nparty's internal affairs,\" Gus Dur said.<\/p>\n
Syaifullah has just been reelected to head Anshor, the youth
\nwing of the 40 million-strong NU.<\/p>\n
PKB, the country's third largest party in terms of popular
\nvotes but the sixth biggest faction in the House of
\nRepresentatives, will hold a congress between April 16 and April
\n18 to elect a new leader.<\/p>\n
The party deputy secretary-general Hermawi F. Taslim said Gus
\nDur had won support from six provincial chapters for the post of
\nthe chief of the party's lawmaking body.<\/p>\n
President Susilo is expected to open the event, which will be
\nattended by around 3,000 delegates from across the country.<\/p>",
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