PDKB faction set to merge with KKI

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The five-member Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB) faction plans to merge with the Indonesian National Unity (KKI) faction in the House of Representatives because it failed to meet a requirement of a newly introduced internal regulation of the House.

The merger of the two nationalist-oriented factions will cut the number of House factions from 10 to nine.

PDKB secretary-general Seto Harianto confirmed that he had talked with leaders of the 11-member KKI faction on the possibility of holding a joint declaration sometime next month.

"We are in the process of meeting with KKI leaders. Principally, there is no problem for the merger plan," Seto told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He added his faction would soon officially send a letter to the House leaders.

His statement ended previous speculation that PDKB would join the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), which held 153 seats at the House.

Based on Article 14 of the new internal regulation of the House, enacted in October, each faction has to consist of at least 10 legislators.

Article 15 of the regulation says that political parties that have less than 10 seats in the House can merge with others to form a faction.

The old regulation stipulated that a faction, which had less than 10 members, had no right to nominate candidates for House leadership positions.

Seto admitted that he had been involved in the establishment of the KKI, a combination of seven small political parties. PDKB was supposed to join the coalition from its inception, but it was done too quickly, he said.

"Now, it's time to return to the coalition as we have the same principles," Seto added.

According to Seto, the merger will neither disfavor nor discourage his political party in its struggle to improve democracy and law enforcement.

Seto, however, expressed deep concern over the inconsistency of the factions in implementing the new internal regulation.