Protest mars PKB splinter group's congress<\/p>\n
Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post\/Surabaya<\/p>\n
Protest marked the opening day of the national congress held by
\nthe National Awakening Party (PKB) faction under Alwi Shihab here
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
Dozens of people who claimed to be supporters of official PKB
\nleader Muhaimin Iskandar came to the venue of the congress at
\nSukolilo haj dormitory just before the event was opened,
\nthreatening to pull down the party's symbols and banners.<\/p>\n
They said Alwi's faction were not entitled to display party
\nsymbols following a recent court verdict that recognized the
\nfaction under Muhaimin.<\/p>\n
\"We're ready to die for Gus Dur,\" one of the protesters
\nshouted, referring to the PKB cofounder and chief patron
\nAbdurrahman Wahid by his nickname. \"The congress is not
\nlegitimate because they (the Alwi faction) lost in court.\"<\/p>\n
Police guarding the congress prevented the crowd from
\ncommitting acts of vandalism and managed to disperse them.<\/p>\n
The Alwi faction's secretary-general Saifullah Yusuf said his
\nside would ignore the protest and would leave the matter to
\nsenior Nahdlatul Ulama clerics who support the faction.<\/p>\n
\"We will try to initiate reconciliation with the Muhaimin
\nfaction. We are not pursuing a win or seeking their defeat,
\nbecause this is about justice and truth,\" Saifullah told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
PKB dismissed Alwi and Saifullah last year as the party's
\nleader and secretary-general after they joined the Cabinet of
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The party bans high party
\nofficials from holding jobs in the government, citing possible
\nconflict of interests.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur was invited to the congress, but did not turn up.<\/p>\n
Senior clerics critical of Gus Dur, including Abdullah Faqih
\nfrom the Langitan Islamic boarding school in Tuban, Achmad Mas
\nSubadar from Pasuruan, Achmad Sofyan from Situbondo, Idris
\nMarzuki from Kediri, Masduki Mahfud and Mahruf Amin from Jakarta,
\nwere present.<\/p>\n
The clerics have refused to recognize the results of the PKB
\ncongress in Semarang in April, which elected Muhaimin the leader
\nand reelected Gus Dur as the chief patron.<\/p>\n
The clerics also expressed their support for the government's
\ndecision to raise fuel prices.<\/p>\n
Saifullah has been touted as the strongest candidate for the
\ntop executive job, while Idris will compete with Mahruf Amin and
\nAbdurrahman Chudlori for the chief patron post in the congress,
\nwhich will conclude on Sunday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/protest-mars-pkb-splinter-groups-congress-1447893297",
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