Govt to turn to Supreme Court

Govt to turn to Supreme Court

JAKARTA: If the Jakarta High Court fails to resolve the legal dispute between two factions of the National Awakening Party (PKB), the government will ask the Supreme Court to settle the matter.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Monday the government would enforce whatever decision was made by the Supreme Court.

"We will abide by the Supreme Court's decision, while the verification process will go on," Yusril said before attending a Cabinet meeting.

Conflicting court rulings have failed to resolve the legal dispute between two factions of the PKB led by Alwi Shihab and Matori Abdul Djalil.

The Central Jakarta District Court recently issued a verdict in favor of the PKB under the leadership of Matori, who is also the defense minister in President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Cabinet.

Earlier, however, the courts issued a ruling endorsing the dismissal of Matori from the PKB leadership for backing the extraordinary meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly that ousted former president Abdurrahman Wahid in 2001.

Abdurrahman is one of the founders of the PKB. --JP