Gus Dur asks Taufik on PKB dispute

JAKARTA: The leadership dispute in the National Awakening Party (PKB) has taken a new twist with PKB patron Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid sending on Thursday a memo to Taufik Kiemas, the husband of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, to help settle the dispute.

Gus Dur said the letter was meant to pressure Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra to withdraw his previous decision, which rejected the registration of the Alwi Shihab-led PKB for the 2004 general elections.

"I wrote a memo to Taufik Kiemas. I wrote that the move not to execute (a Supreme Court verdict) is against the law and violates the balance of power between the three organs of state -- the executive, legislature and judiciary. It's a constitutional violation," the former president said.

Gus Dur warned that if Megawati failed to settle the case, supporters of her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) would have to deal with his PKB in the upcoming election.

The Supreme Court ruled in the middle of last month in favor of Alwi's PKB. But, the verdict is not yet final as the chairman of the rival PKB faction, Matori Abdul Djalil, who is also Megawati's defense minister, has filed a request for a review of the ruling.--JP