Amien calls on PKB faction to rejoin Assembly
JAKARTA (JP): People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais called on the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction during the closing speech of the Special Session on Thursday to rejoin the Assembly.
"I sincerely hope that members of the National Awakening Faction (FKB) return and participate in the Assembly," Amien said, followed by loud cheers from Assembly members.
"We hope that our friends from FKB could support us in our efforts to amend the Constitution and redraft our country's principles," he added.
The Assembly speaker also remarked that all factions will welcome PKB members with open arms to work together in the Assembly working committee.
PKB was the sole supporter in the Assembly of former president Abdurrahman Wahid and following the impeachment of Abdurrahman at the Special Session, the faction decided to withdraw itself and leave the Assembly.
The party also fired its chairman Matori Abdul Djalil, who attended the session despite the party's decision to boycott the meeting.
However, several members of the party expressed their disagreement over the decision to withdraw their faction both from the House of Representatives and the Assembly.
Following the call from the Assembly leaders, former PKB chairman and Assembly deputy speaker Matori said that he expected the party to respond positively to the Assembly's offer.
"I hope that the call receives a good response from PKB because it is big responsibility to stay in the Assembly and they should not lose hope over what has happened," Matori said after the session.
Separately, PKB deputy secretary-general Chotibul Umam Wiranu said that the party appreciated the appeal of the Assembly and would further discuss the possibility at the party's coming national meeting.
"Our party will decide everything at the upcoming national meeting in August. The meeting will be held in Yogyakarta," Chotibul told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
"However, we really appreciate the appeal because it is an official political request from Assembly members for our party to rejoin them," he remarked.
However, Chotibul said that all branches of the party and the central executive board had decided to temporarily withdraw their faction from the House and Assembly as the logical consequence of Abdurrahman's decree to dissolve the Assembly.
"But, we are going to further discuss the issue in mid August and we are also waiting for the return of our advisory council chairman from his medical check-up," Chotibul added.
Abdurrahman is the chairman of the party advisory council. He left for the United States on Thursday for a medical checkup and is due to return to the country within one week. (dja)