Alwi's PKB stakes claim for post in the highest legislative body

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Leaders of the Alwi Shihab-led National Awakening Party (PKB) urged the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Monday to recognize the party's claim to one of the seven deputy speaker seats in the legislative body.

The PKB seat has been left vacant for the last eight months, mostly due to a split in the party.

The Alwi camp's delegation, comprising Alwi himself, deputy chairman Mahfud MD, and secretary-general Syaifullah Yusuf conveyed their demand during a meeting with Assembly Speaker Amien Rais at the Assembly building here.

Responding to the demand, Amien said that he would first discuss the matter with all Assembly leaders.

Amien was accompanied only by deputy speakers Nazri Adlani and Jusuf Amir Feisal during the meeting.

The Assembly leadership comprises one speaker and seven deputies from various factions. The post allocated for PKB, which finished fourth in the 1999 election, had been filled by Matori Abdul Djalil until he was appointed minister of defense in July last year.

Matori's successor in the Assembly was not immediately named after he was fired by his party and set up a PKB splinter group.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri recruited Matori to her Cabinet as a concession for his support in the ouster of PKB founder and former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Alwi was named PKB caretaker chairman until the party's congress in January elected him the new boss.

Alwi's camp insisted that it deserved the Assembly deputy speaker's post on the ground that of the 51 PKB legislators, only five had pledged allegiance to Matori. Alwi has nominated Cholil Bisri for the post.

"We want the Assembly leaders to recognize this," Alwi said during the meeting.

However, article 27, paragraph 1 of the Assembly internal rules states that if an Assembly leader cannot carry out his duties, that leader is replaced by a member of the same faction.

This means that the replacement of the Assembly leader is in the authority of the faction, not the party.

"Please give us time to discuss this matter. This is not a big deal compared with the amendment process (of the Constitution)," Amien said.