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