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.