Matori rejects dismissal from National Awakening Party

Matori rejects dismissal from National Awakening Party

JAKARTA (JP): The law making body of the National Awakening
Party (PKB) approved on Monday the dismissal of Matori Abdul
Djalil and Abdul Cholik Achmad as party's chairman and official
in charge of education affairs respectively.

"The removal of Matori and Cholik is legitimate as the two
kept defying party' policies. Should they fail to heed our
warning, we may proceed with their expulsion from the party," the
law making body's secretary Arifin Junaidi told reporters at the
party's headquarters in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Arifin also said that the party's decision to appoint Alwi
Shihab as its acting chairman would stand.

Earlier in the day, Matori insisted that he was the rightful
chairman of the party for the 2000/2005 period as a result of
last year's PKB congress in Surabaya, East Java.

"I insist that any decision to dismiss or suspend a party
member -- either from the party's board of executives or the
House of Representatives, is unlawful without approval from the
PKB chairman, that is me," Matori said as quoted by Antara as
saying.

Matori renewed his appeal to PKB members to be realistic and
accept the result of the People's Consultative Assembly's (MPR)
Special Session for the sake of the nation.

The PKB executive board dismissed Matori on July 21 as the
defiant PKB chairman attended the Special Session of the MPR, an
event which PKB said was unlawful.

Matori was fired in a meeting led by its cofounder,
Abdurrahman Wahid, prior to the plenary session to impeach him.

Arifin said that Matori's suspension had little effect on the
party's cohesiveness.

"Even though Pak Matori claims that he, along with his
followers, will hold a rival congress to set up party called PKB
Reform, I'm not sure that he has a strong base at the grass roots
level," Arifin said.

Arifin also reminded Matori that his appointment as the
party's chairman was due to the sole support of Abdurrahman, who
is the party's chief patron.

In the East Java town of Situbondo, a councillor representing
PKB in the local legislature resigned on Monday in a display of
loyalty to Abdurrahman, who was ousted last week.

Achmad Zainuri Ghazali, the leader of martial arts group Pagar
Nusa -- one of the wings under Nahdlatul Ulama -- said he had
already taken a vow to leave the legislature should Gus Dur be
forced to step down.

"I pledged to leave the council if Gus Dur was impeached," he
said.

East Java is known as the strongest power base of Gus Dur,
whose family founded Nahdlatul Ulama.

Separately, caretaker minister of defense Mahfud M.D.
suggested that Abdurrahman drop any bid to make a comeback in
politics upon arrival from his trip to the U.S.

"I was the last minister to accompany him to the plane (when
he was about to fly to the U.S.) and I told him that I will wait
for him in Ciganjur," said Mahfud, referring to an area in South
Jakarta where Abdurrahman lives.

Mahfud admitted Abdurrahman better known as Gus Dur was not
suited for the presidency.

"There are three theories about Gus Dur's downfall: an
intelligence operation by some sectors of TNI, foreign
intervention and Gus Dur's personal condition. I myself believe
in the last theory. Besides his physical handicap, Gus Dur's
attitude accelerated his downfall," Mahfud said. (23/nur/bby/tso)