Bitter PKB internal conflict grows wider
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The National Awakening Party (PKB) has still not been able to reconcile its two opposing camps, with both continuing to show off their power and support.
The PKB camp led by House of Representatives deputy speaker Muhaimin Iskandar ended its two-day meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, while the rival camp chaired by chief welfare minister Alwi Shihab is gearing up for a similar forum in Yogyakarta on Saturday.
The Alwi camp claimed their upcoming meeting will be attended by 896 participants, including influential clerics and executives of PKB regional branches.
The Wednesday meeting, which Muhaimin claimed was attended by leaders of all PKB branches and ulema across Indonesia, decided to take stern action against those opposed to his leadership and to bring Alwi and Saifullah Yusuf to court for allegedly forging party symbols.
"The authenticity of the PKB symbol is clear, and Alwi uses the wrong one because it says the party's office is domiciled in Kalibata (South Jakarta)," PKB legal advisor Firman Wijaya told reporters.
"We will file the lawsuit this week," he added.
The PKB split into two camps after its April national congress in the Central Java capital of Semarang, which elected Muhaimin as new executive chairman and retained former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid as chief patron.
Alwi deemed the congress illegitimate, because it failed to include him and Saifullah, the current State Minister for the Development of Disadvantaged Regions.
The two were suspended as PKB chairman and secretary-general respectively after joining the Cabinet last October. They are suing the party's central board over their suspensions, which they say violated the party's statutes.
The camps are running into dead-ends in their efforts toward reconciliation, failing to agree as to whether or not the congress should be held again and an extraordinary election held.
Eager to show off their support, the Alwi camp claimed that its own meeting has been supported by 150 representatives from 22 out of the 32 PKB regional branches, 618 clerics, and hundreds of others from the woman's and youth wings.
The meeting is also to discuss the holding of a national congress to replace the April forum.
"We'll hold a new election, and of course, Muhaimin will be allowed to contest," said legislator Khofifah Indar Parawansa.
She added that a meeting of 21 influential clerics in Rembang, Central Java, on May 20 decided to throw their support behind Alwi and Saifullah, claiming that their suspensions were illegitimate.
Khofifah also said all party regional branches had been invited to attend, including those present at the Jakarta meeting hosted by Muhaimin.
"At least three branches attending Muhaimin's meeting have confirmed their attendance at ours. We'll also invite Muhaimin and Gus Dur," she said.
Khofifah said the fact that there were two different national meetings represented an opportunity for both camps to review their relative strength and to consider peaceful reconciliation.
"But if court is the only place to find the solution, then so be it," added the former women's empowerment minister.