New NU-based party registered

New NU-based party registered

JAKARTA: In an attempt to preserve its presence in the
country's political arena following the prolonged internal
leadership dispute in the National Awakening Party (PKB), party
officials confirmed on Tuesday the establishment of PKB
Indonesia, its alternative political vehicle for the 2004 general
election.

"Today, we register PKB Indonesia at the Ministry of Justice
and Human Rights," said Yahya C. Staquf, deputy secretary-general
of PKB Kuningan, the PKB faction led by Alwi Shihab.

"We will use it to channel our political aspiration if the PKB
leadership dispute cannot be settled by the 2004 general
election," he added.

He said PKB Indonesia was chaired by KH Ubaidillah Abdullah
Faqih, the son of senior Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) figure Abdullah
Faqih of the Langitan Islamic Boarding School (in Tuban, East
Java), while the post of secretary-general was held by Syaifuddin
Junaidi.

The PKB leadership dispute began in July last year following
the downfall of Abdurrahman Wahid, a key NU figure, from the
presidency.

Abdurrahman, who is also chairman of the PKB's board of
advisors, fired Matori Abdul Djalil as the chairman of the PKB
after he attended the Special Session of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) which removed Abdurrahman as
president. Matori has challenged Abdurrahman's decision, saying
that the authority to install and replace a party chairman rests
with the party's five-yearly congress or extraordinary congress.
-- JP