PKB won't recall dissenting lawmakers<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar
\nasserted on Friday he would not dismiss or recall any dissenting
\nPKB legislators who had opposed the party's national congress
\nlast month.<\/p>\n
Muhaimin, also a House of Representatives deputy speaker, made
\nthe statement because he was perceiving fears from these PKB
\nmembers that he would recall them from their legislative posts.<\/p>\n
Despite strong demands for their dismissal, Muhaimin said
\nhaving dissenting members was common and he would not recall them
\nunless they kept on creating negative public opinion to the level
\nthat it affected the party's consolidation process.<\/p>\n
\"They're having this fight simply because they're afraid of
\nbeing dismissed. Like AS Hikam, who probably fears that I'd dump
\nhim for betraying me after everything I've done to help him,\"
\nsaid Muhaimin, referring to the PKB lawmaker at House Commission
\nI who supports the opposing Alwi Shihab's camp.<\/p>\n
PKB holds 52 seats in the House.<\/p>\n
The party slipped into a chronic dispute between supporters of
\nMuhaimin and Alwi, following the party's congress last month that
\nelected Muhaimin as the new chairman, and former president
\nAbdurrahman Wahid as chief patron.<\/p>\n
Alwi, the Coordinating Minister of Social Welfare, called the
\ncongress illegitimate as it did not involve him as PKB chairman,
\nor State Minister for the Development of Disadvantaged Regions
\nSyaifullah Yusuf as PKB secretary general.<\/p>\n
The two were suspended after joining President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono's Cabinet, whose presidential bid was not supported by
\nthe PKB. Alwi and Syaifullah have questioned the suspension
\nbecause holding dual positions was not regulated at all in the
\nparty's statutes.<\/p>\n
\"But they, along with other four PKB members who were expected
\nto be appointed ministers had previously agreed in a plenary
\nmeeting to resign party posts should they become ministers. They
\nalso signed an agreement letter,\" Muhaimin said.<\/p>\n
Alwi later filed a lawsuit at the South Jakarta District Court
\non the grounds that the party had failed to inform the Ministry
\nof Justice and Human Rights about the suspension during the
\nmaximum 30 day period, and thus the leadership remains in his
\nhands.<\/p>\n
Despite this, Muhaimin submitted the party's new line up at
\nthe ministry for registration. However, the ministry has asked
\nall disputing parties to resolve their conflict first, and that
\nit would not make any legal registration pending a court
\ndecision.<\/p>\n
\"The submission of the party structure is for administrative
\nreasons only. There's no legal element there,\" Muhaimin argued.<\/p>\n
He said, however, that the party would take unspecified
\nactions against PKB members and senior clerics who support Alwi
\nin East Java, the party's main stronghold, who have held
\nexclusive meetings and are calling for their own congress.<\/p>\n
\"These clerics have three hidden agendas; to keep Alwi and
\nSyaifullah in the Cabinet, to (maintain) local conflict in East
\nJava, and to prevent PKB from being an open party as they wish to
\nkeep the PKB as an Islamic party forever,\" said Muhaimin.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pkb-wont-recall-dissenting-lawmakers-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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