PKB leadership conflict intensifies

PKB leadership conflict intensifies

Endy M. Bayuni and Abu Hanifah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The leadership feud within the National Awakening Party (PKB)
intensified on Wednesday when a national working conference
involving supporters of Matori Abdul Djalil gave him a free hand
to fire and appoint party leaders in PKB regional offices.

The conference ended with a statement alluding to calls for
reconciliation between the Matori camp and the party majority who
support the chairmanship of Alwi Shihab.

But the conference's real intention seemed to be to give
Matori a legitimacy to his chairmanship, which has become shaky
since the majority of party executives rejected his leadership in
July.

"The chairman should evaluate and renew the faction leaders of
PKB in the legislative body in the central, provincial and
regency levels," stated one of the recommendations read out by
Ircham Abdurrahim, a delegate from Central Java, at the end of
the three-day conference.

The conference reaffirmed the call for an extraordinary
congress before March next year, saying it was necessary to bring
about reconciliation within the party, between the Matori camp
and his rivals, most notably Alwi Shihab.

PKB, Indonesia's fourth largest political party with its prime
support base being the 30 million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
Muslim organization, split following the fall of president
Abdurrahman Wahid, the party's patron chief, in July.

Matori, who had been chairman of the party and was deputy
chairman of the MPR, supported Abdurrahman's ouster and the
appointment of Megawati Soekarnoputri as the new president. While
it cost Matori his standing in the party, he was richly rewarded
with a Cabinet post as minister of defense.

Abdurrahman has since sacked Matori from the party and
appointed his former foreign minister, Alwi Shihab as the new
chairman.

Matori however, defied the order to step aside, and formed his
own faction within PKB, counting on his loyal supporters.

Separately, Muhaimin Iskandar, a staunch supporter in Alwi's
camp deplored the conference, saying that the conference was
illegal and a violation of the organization's constitution.

In a press briefing, Muhaimin said that Matori was given a
chance to admit guilt for what he did, otherwise the PKB would
take Matori to court.

"He still has time, until Nov. 15, to admit guilt," the PKB
faction speaker in DPR said. Matori will be sued for using PKB's
attributes unofficially during the conference.

Muhaimin also accused People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
Speaker Amien Rais of interfering in PKB domestic affairs by
stalling with regard to the appointment of a new deputy speaker
in the MPR that was left vacant by Matori. PKB officials had
earlier nominated Cholil Bisri for the post.

Chotibul Umam Wiranu, Muhaimin's colleague in Alwi's camp even
challenged Matori to establish his own party, without using the
PKB name.

Regarding Matori's extraordinary congress plan, another of
Alwi's supporters, Effendy Choirie said they had not yet made any
plans to hold a congress to secure Alwi's position as he is still
technically the acting chairman in PKB.

"Pak Alwi will lead PKB until the coming congress in 2005. We
have not yet discussed any acceleration of the party's congress
schedule," Effendy told the Post.