Alwi's PKB to change name

Alwi's PKB to change name

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Awakening Party (PKB) faction led by Alwi Shihab
will soon change its name to the National Awakening Party of
Indonesia (PKBI), following months of political dispute with the
rival PKB faction led Matori A. Djalil.

"The change of the party's name will be announced within the
next few days," Alwi told reporters after meeting with the
chairman of the Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), Hasyim Muzadi, at NU's
headquarters in Central Jakarta.

NU, Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, with a membership
of about 40 million, constitutes the mass political base for the
PKB.

The party, was fourth in the 1999 election, after the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP).

In a subsequent development, however, the party split last
year into one faction led by Alwi and another by Matori, due to a
bitter dispute.

Matori became the legally valid, first chairman of PKB at its
establishment in 1999. Moreover, PKB was registered with the
Indonesian Elections Commission (KPU) by Matori.

Last year, the belligerent Matori was fired by Abdurrahman
Wahid, the patron of the party's board and an influential figure
within NU, for supporting the decision by the People's
Consultative Assembly to impeach Abdurrahman from the presidency.
Matori, however, rejected the dismissal.

Knowing that he did not have broad support from the grass
roots and NU's leaders, Matori has, so far, rejected a request by
both Alwi and Abdurrahman for the party to hold an extraordinary
meeting to decide who is entitled to chair PKB.

Matori's insistence led Alwi's camp to hold an extraordinary
meeting in Yogyakarta early this year, where Alwi was elected as
its new chairman.

In a bid to strengthen PKB's name, Alwi's PKB sought a legal
settlement but failed, as its legality was in the hands of
Matori.

Alwi also said that the plan to change the party's name had
been explained to Muzadi during the meeting with him at the NU
headquarters.

Accompanied by his deputy, Machfudz MD, Alwi denied reports
that his party was seeking support from NU.

"There was nothing special about the meeting," Alwi told
reporters after the meeting.

Commenting on the name-change plan, Muzadi said that it was up
to PKB, as NU would remain neutral in politics.

"If they consider the name change to be for the best, then let
them go ahead," said Muzadi.