PKB leader's seat left vacant<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: The Assembly deputy speaker's seat that is reserved
\nfor the leader of the conflict-ridden National Awakening Party
\n(PKB) will be left vacant at the People's Consultative Assembly
\n(MPR) until the party's internal rift has been resolved.<\/p>\n
The Assembly deputy speaker's seat from PKB went to its chief,
\nMatori Abdul Djalil, until he was appointed defense minister by
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri in August. Traditionally, most
\nof the eight MPR deputy speakers are chiefs of the major
\npolitical parties.<\/p>\n
The problem became complicated after the party's board of
\npatrons fired Matori for disloyalty when he supported impeachment
\nof then president Abdurrahman Wahid, PKB's chief patron.<\/p>\n
Matori was replaced by Alwi Sihab but Matori insists his
\ndismissal was illegal and has stuck to his claim that he remains
\nthe legitimate PKB chief.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile the enraged Alwi Sihab camp accused the Assembly of
\nmeddling in the party's internal affairs by refusing its
\ncandidate, Cholil Bisri, and leaving the seat vacant.<\/p>\n
\"The MPR Speaker should have installed Cholil Bisri in place
\nof Matori,\" said Erman Suparno, PKB faction secretary at the
\nAssembly.<\/p>\n
\"Choosing a replacement for Matori is the party's prerogative
\nand the Assembly leadership has no right to reject him (Cholil),\"
\nhe added. --JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pkb-leaders-seat-left-vacant-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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