PKB elects Abdurrahman as its chief patron<\/p>\n
By Ainur R. Sophiaan and Ahmad Junaidi<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): The ongoing congress of the National Awakening
\nParty (PKB) was practically over as President Abdurrahman Wahid
\nwas unanimously elected on Wednesday as the party's chief patron
\nwith incumbent chairman Matori Abdul Djalil almost certain to
\nretain his post.<\/p>\n
In a plenary session presided over by outgoing chairman of the
\nparty's Board of Patrons Makruf Amin, the participants agreed to
\nname Gus Dur, the President's popular name, for the chief patron
\npost.<\/p>\n
"Thank you and I appreciate it," Abdurrahman told participants
\nat the party congress which will last until July 28.<\/p>\n
He said he wished to see PKB emerge as a modern party which
\ncould solve its internal problems through its own strengths, even
\nthough the party is promoted by the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim
\norganization, once dubbed a traditional group.<\/p>\n
The PKB was founded on 23 July 1998 by Abdurrahman and others.
\nThe party's establishment was announced at Abdurrahman's
\nresidence in Ciganjur, South Jakarta. Gus Dur was NU chairman at
\nthat time.<\/p>\n
During his speech on Wednesday night, Abdurrahman unveiled his
\nsupport for Matori's chairmanship bid, saying other candidates
\nwere not available.<\/p>\n
He claimed that he is still needs Matori's closest rival Alwi
\nShihab to serve as the minister of foreign affairs. The only
\nother candidate, Mustofa Bisri, refused to run for the post.<\/p>\n
"So Matori is the only one. But he should fulfill two
\nrequirements," said Abdurrahman, who flew here from Jakarta after
\npresiding over a Cabinet meeting. Abdurrahman said Matori should
\nseparate private funds from the party's and exclude several names
\nfrom the party's executive body. The names recommended for the
\nexecutive posts include Muhammadiyah figure Chabib Chirzin.<\/p>\n
Among the rights of the party's chief patron is to approve of
\nthe candidates for the chairmanship post.<\/p>\n
"The PKB does not belong to the NU alone. The PKB and the NU
\nshould be separated," he contended.<\/p>\n
He said he has also offered membership of the PKB to an army
\nlieutenant general but the response should wait until the
\ngeneral's retirement in November.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman did not say it, but it was clear that he was
\nreferring to Lt. Gen. (ret) Bambang Susilo Yudoyono, who is
\nMinister of Mines and Energy, the only military figure touted as
\na member of the prospective PKB executive.<\/p>\n
Minister of Forestry and Plantations Nur Mahmudi Ismail and
\nMinister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises
\nZarkasih Noor promised to help the PKB although they refused to
\njoin the party.<\/p>\n
Nur Mahmudi has just resigned as chairman of the Justice Party
\nwhile Zarkasih is deputy chairman of the United Development Party
\n(PPP).<\/p>\n
Earlier in the plenary session, the chairman of the party's
\nEast Java chapter Choirul Anam proposed to the plenary session
\nthat Gus Dur should be elected unanimously.<\/p>\n
At least 10 provincial chapters agreed to the proposal, before
\nMakruf finally offered all participants to support Abdurrahman's
\nnomination.<\/p>\n
According to the congress' agenda, the election of the
\nchairmen of the legislative body and the executive body should
\ntake place on Thursday.<\/p>\n
A source said the election was accelerated up to fit in with
\nthe President's agenda.<\/p>\n
The congress agreed earlier on Wednesday to a regulation
\nproviding that the chief of the Board of Patrons would appoint
\nthe party chairman after consulting with the leaders of
\nprovincial chapters.<\/p>\n
According to this regulation, which was approved after a
\nfierce debate, the chief patron is assisted by five executives
\nfrom five different regions, namely Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan,
\nBali-East and West Nusa Tenggara, and Sulawesi-Maluku-Irian Jaya,
\nin forming the party's Executive Board.<\/p>\n
Executives from the party's East Indonesian chapters earlier
\nthreatened to walk out from the session if the chief patron was
\nauthorized to select the party chairman. But the PKB's outgoing
\ndeputy chairman Cholil Bisri managed to calm them down.<\/p>",
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