Matori and Alwi urged to go to court for settlement

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.