PKB elects Abdurrahman as its chief patron

By Ainur R. Sophiaan and Ahmad Junaidi

SURABAYA (JP): The ongoing congress of the National Awakening Party (PKB) was practically over as President Abdurrahman Wahid was unanimously elected on Wednesday as the party's chief patron with incumbent chairman Matori Abdul Djalil almost certain to retain his post.

In a plenary session presided over by outgoing chairman of the party's Board of Patrons Makruf Amin, the participants agreed to name Gus Dur, the President's popular name, for the chief patron post.

"Thank you and I appreciate it," Abdurrahman told participants at the party congress which will last until July 28.

He said he wished to see PKB emerge as a modern party which could solve its internal problems through its own strengths, even though the party is promoted by the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization, once dubbed a traditional group.

The PKB was founded on 23 July 1998 by Abdurrahman and others. The party's establishment was announced at Abdurrahman's residence in Ciganjur, South Jakarta. Gus Dur was NU chairman at that time.

During his speech on Wednesday night, Abdurrahman unveiled his support for Matori's chairmanship bid, saying other candidates were not available.

He claimed that he is still needs Matori's closest rival Alwi Shihab to serve as the minister of foreign affairs. The only other candidate, Mustofa Bisri, refused to run for the post.

"So Matori is the only one. But he should fulfill two requirements," said Abdurrahman, who flew here from Jakarta after presiding over a Cabinet meeting. Abdurrahman said Matori should separate private funds from the party's and exclude several names from the party's executive body. The names recommended for the executive posts include Muhammadiyah figure Chabib Chirzin.

Among the rights of the party's chief patron is to approve of the candidates for the chairmanship post.

"The PKB does not belong to the NU alone. The PKB and the NU should be separated," he contended.

He said he has also offered membership of the PKB to an army lieutenant general but the response should wait until the general's retirement in November.

Abdurrahman did not say it, but it was clear that he was referring to Lt. Gen. (ret) Bambang Susilo Yudoyono, who is Minister of Mines and Energy, the only military figure touted as a member of the prospective PKB executive.

Minister of Forestry and Plantations Nur Mahmudi Ismail and Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Zarkasih Noor promised to help the PKB although they refused to join the party.

Nur Mahmudi has just resigned as chairman of the Justice Party while Zarkasih is deputy chairman of the United Development Party (PPP).

Earlier in the plenary session, the chairman of the party's East Java chapter Choirul Anam proposed to the plenary session that Gus Dur should be elected unanimously.

At least 10 provincial chapters agreed to the proposal, before Makruf finally offered all participants to support Abdurrahman's nomination.

According to the congress' agenda, the election of the chairmen of the legislative body and the executive body should take place on Thursday.

A source said the election was accelerated up to fit in with the President's agenda.

The congress agreed earlier on Wednesday to a regulation providing that the chief of the Board of Patrons would appoint the party chairman after consulting with the leaders of provincial chapters.

According to this regulation, which was approved after a fierce debate, the chief patron is assisted by five executives from five different regions, namely Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali-East and West Nusa Tenggara, and Sulawesi-Maluku-Irian Jaya, in forming the party's Executive Board.

Executives from the party's East Indonesian chapters earlier threatened to walk out from the session if the chief patron was authorized to select the party chairman. But the PKB's outgoing deputy chairman Cholil Bisri managed to calm them down.