MPR tp get new deputy speaker

JAKARTA: A splinter faction of the National Awakening Party (PKB) lead by Matori Abdul Djalil announced on Tuesday that it had chosen Abdul Kholik Ahmad to fill a vacant deputy speaker's post in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

"The new deputy speaker will serve during for the 2001-2004 period," Matori said after meeting with MPR Speaker Amien Rais and the five deputy speakers.

Kholik Ahmad is the secretary-general of Matori's splinter PKB grouping.

Matori, the current defense minister, claims that he is still in charge of the PKB as he has not yet been replaced by a party congress. He was dismissed by the official party on Nov. 15 on the grounds that he had violated the PKB statutes.

Separately, the official PKB stated that they were not worried by Matori's announcement.

"What kind of joker is this guy? Just let the people make up their own minds about Pak Matori. The more moves he makes, the more losses he will suffer," the PKB chairman Alwi Shihab told The Jakarta Post.

Alwi said that Matori's camp would not be able to take over in the House as a majority of PKB legislators were still loyal to the official party. -- JP