Matori and Alwi urged to go to court for settlement
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Securing the recognition of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) for its position there does not mean that the Alwi Shihab- led National Awakening Party (PKB) will automatically receive some Rp 14 billion (US$1.4 million) in government aid for the 2004 general election, a minister said on Wednesday.
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno suggested that both Alwi's PKB and the splinter PKB faction, led by Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil, should settle their dispute in court first before the government would decide on which was lawfully entitled to the money.
"I have frequently suggested that Alwi and Matori settle their dispute in court so that we (the government) will have a legal basis for deciding which camp has the legitimate right to use the party's current attributes and symbols," Hari told a media briefing at his office.
On Tuesday, most MPR leaders supported the appointment of Cholil Bisri as an MPR deputy speaker to replace Matori. They were MPR Speaker Amien Rais and his deputies -- Lt. Gen. Agus Widjojo of the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction, Ginandjar Kartasasmita of the Golkar faction, Yusuf Amir Faisal of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction, and Nazri Adlani of the Interest Group faction. Meanwhile, Sutjipto of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, as well as Muhammad Husni Thamrin of the United Development Party (PPP) faction, failed to show up for the meeting.
The PKB's internal dispute began last July when then president Abdurrahman Wahid, who is also the chairman of the PKB's advisory board, unilaterally dismissed Matori as the party's chairman and appointed Alwi as his replacement after Matori had attended the Special Session of the MPR which removed Abdurrahman from the presidency. The Assembly then appointed his deputy Megawati Soekarnoputri as president.
Matori has insisted that he is the legitimate party chairman and repeatedly challenged Abdurrahman's decision, saying that the authority to appoint and replace a party chairman rested with the party's quinquennial congress, or an extraordinary congress.
The leadership dispute led to the MPR deputy speakership that was originally held by Matori remaining vacant following his appointment as defense minister in Megawati's Cabinet last August.
A similar opinion to Hari's was expressed by the chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU), Nazaruddin Syamsuddin, who said that the Commission would declare both camps ineligible to participate in the 2004 election if the dispute remained unresolved.
"If both sides register for the 2004 election with the same name, as well as attributes and symbols, we will disqualify them as no party clones are allowed to participate in the election," he said.
Meanwhile, Amien Rais expected that the PDI Perjuangan faction would accept the nomination of Cholil as the MPR deputy speaker.
"Most MPR leaders have approved the nomination of Cholil. I hope he (Sutjipto) will respect it," Amien told the media.
Amien, however, revealed that soon after the Assembly leaders announced their support for Cholil, Matori, who was on an official U.S. visit, expressed his dissatisfaction by sending him a text message.
"Last night (Tuesday night), Pak Matori sent me a text message expressing his surprise at the decision," Amien said.
An official from Alwi's PKB, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, asked the government on Wednesday to issue a Presidential Decree authorizing the appointment of Cholil as the MPR deputy speaker.
"If the leaders of this country are realistic about what's happening, then the Presidential Decree should be issued," Khofifah said after meeting Vice President Hamzah Haz on Wednesday.