Bitter PKB internal conflict grows wider

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.