Gus Dur's PKB blames opponents for split<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The National Awakening Party (PKB) accused former president
\nAbdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid's opponents on Friday of stage-
\nmanaging its internal rift in order to weaken the fourth biggest
\nparty in the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur was toppled from the presidency last July by a
\ncoalition of major political parties spearheaded by the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and
\nGolkar Party.<\/p>\n
His ouster led to the split of PKB into two factions after he
\nsacked his former confidante Matori Abdul Djalil as his party
\nchairman and appointed former foreign affairs minister Alwi
\nShihab to replace him.<\/p>\n
Matori was dismissed for supporting the impeachment of Gus Dur
\nthat also brought the then vice president and PDI Perjuangan
\nchairwoman, Megawati Soekarnoputri, to the presidency.<\/p>\n
Megawati appointed Matori as defense minister in her cabinet
\napparently in return for his support and to protect him from
\nbeing embarrassed or sidelined by Gus Dur's allies in PKB.<\/p>\n
Khofifah Indar Parawansa, a co-chairperson of Gus Dur's PKB
\ncamp, said that Matori's backers played a key role in breaking up
\nthe party founded by the country's largest Muslim organization
\nNahdlatul Ulama (NU).<\/p>\n
\"I hope that Pak Matori will soon realize that he is
\nacting as the puppet of PKB opponents,\" she said, apparently
\nreferring to PDI Perjuangan and Golkar.<\/p>\n
PKB managed to secure the fourth highest number of seats in
\nthe 1999 election although it had only been established a few
\nmonths before the polls. Most of its voters were NU supporters in
\nJava.<\/p>\n
The rift within the PKB has heightened since Matori's faction
\ninsisted on holding a congress next week in Jakarta, while Alwi
\nShihab's camp will hold a separate congress in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Matori claims to have won support from the government and said
\nMegawati would attend a PKB congress of his faction, even though
\nthe plan has been denied by his rivals.<\/p>\n
However, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno hinted on
\nFriday that Megawati or cabinet ministers could attend Matori's
\ncongress on Jan. 14-16 despite the internal dispute within the
\nPKB.<\/p>\n
\"There is no law prohibiting top officials from attending such
\nan event,\" he was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
Hari refused to comment on the government's stance on the PKB
\nrift, saying every political party is regarded as independent and
\nthe government will not intervene in its affairs.<\/p>\n
Matori has been given a chance to reconcile with the Alwi-led
\nPKB faction should he be ready to attend its Jan. 16-19 congress
\nin Yogyakarta, where he has to clarify his stance on his support
\nfor Gus Dur's ouster.<\/p>\n
Alwi expressed his optimism on Friday that he and Matori would
\nsoon reunite in the PKB, although the NU said it has given up its
\nattempts to bring them back together again.<\/p>\n
\"If we are like a group of people who are stuck in a dark
\ncave, we are now reaching a point from where the bright light of
\nreconciliation is seen. There is already a light between us for
\nreconciliation,\" Alwi told reporters in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
However, he did not elaborate further what new progress toward
\nreconciliation has been achieved.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-durs-pkb-blames-opponents-for-split-1447893297",
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