PPP and PKB end internal rifts<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Like the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United Development
\nParty (PPP) also appears to have ended its feud with \"defiant\"
\nmembers following the mini-Cabinet reshuffle by President Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono on Monday.<\/p>\n
The PPP, the country's third largest, reaffirmed its support
\nfor the Susilo administration, although the President retained
\ntwo PPP members, deemed \"disloyal\" to party chairman Hamzah Haz,
\nin the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Previously, the PPP faction in the House of Representatives
\nhad urged the party's central board to withdraw support for its
\ntwo ministers due to their \"poor relations and contributions\" to
\nthe Muslim-based party.<\/p>\n
The two are State Minister for State Enterprises Sugiharto and
\nState Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises
\nSuryadharma Ali, who were both spared the chop in the limited
\nCabinet shakeup.<\/p>\n
PPP faction chairman Endin A.J. Soefihara had said the
\nPresident's decision was a sign that he did not consider his
\nparty to be worthy of political consideration when deciding on
\nthe reshuffle.<\/p>\n
Hamzah, also a former vice president, said Susilo had told the
\ntwo ministers to \"remember to pay their dues to the party\" prior
\nto the Cabinet reshuffle announcement.<\/p>\n
\"I told the President about how our faction members feel. The
\nPresident said he considered the two to be performing well, but
\nhe would remind them of their obligations to the party,\" Hamzah
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he stressed that the PPP central board would
\nmonitor the improvement of the relations between the two
\nministers and the party in the next six months.<\/p>\n
\"If there's no improvement in that time, Pak Hamzah promised
\nhe would directly ask the President to replace them,\" said PPP
\nfaction deputy chairman Lukman Hakiem.<\/p>\n
Also on Thursday, the National Awakening Party (PKB) welcomed
\nsplinter member State Minister for the Development of
\nDisadvantaged Regions Saifullah Yusuf after a year-long split.<\/p>\n
Saifullah, who arrived along with PKB loyalist Erman Suparno,
\nwho has been appointed the new manpower and transmigration
\nminister, was immediately greeted with cheers and laughter by
\nother party members.<\/p>\n
The PKB became divided into two camps after the dismissal of
\nformer chief welfare minister Alwi Shihab and Saifullah as party
\nleader and secretary-general respectively.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court recently ruled that Alwi's dismissal was
\ninvalid, but the verdict did not affect the leadership of
\nMuhaimin Iskandar, who is backed by PKB chief patron and former
\npresident Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid.<\/p>\n
\"We've had something of a meeting of minds and agreed to get
\ntogether again step by step,\" Muhaimin, which was met by a
\nsmiling Saifullah, told the meeting.<\/p>\n
Both Muhaimin and Saifullah refused to comment when asked
\nabout any formal agreement between them, but Muhaimin said the
\nPKB had agreed to support Saifullah in the Cabinet when asked by
\nthe President.<\/p>",
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