PKB legislators resume participation in the House
JAKARTA (JP): Legislators of the National Awakening Party (PKB) resumed their participation in proceedings at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Monday, attending the House's first session for the 2001-2002 period.
PKB faction's newly appointed chairman Ali Masjkur Musa said that despite the comeback of the faction, it was under no obligation to clarify its stance on the Special Session and the presidential succession.
PKB along with the Love the Nation Democratic Faction (F-PDKB) faction supported the former president's decree to declare a state of civil emergency and dissolve the legislature following the People's Consultative Assembly's decision to bring forward the Special Session which led to the ouster of Abdurrahman Wahid from the presidency.
PKB's executive board also dissolved its faction in the DPR and dismissed Matori Abdul Djalil as chairman of the party for attending the session.
"We are present here now for our own constituents and for other factions and the House leadership. The press should not force us to decide whether the new government is valid or not because it has already become a political reality," he said without elaborating.
Ali Masjkur said his faction would promote advocacy and strive to serve the people's interests.
"The PKB will be critical of the new government and control its policy in efforts to uphold democracy and the supremacy of the law and to continue reform efforts," he said.
He further explained PKB legislators could not attend the House's plenary session to hear President Megawati Soekarnoputri's state-of-the-nation address last Thursday because they were in regions to inform members of the results of the party's recent national meeting.
The national meeting appointed Ali Masjkur as the new chairman of the PKB faction replacing Taufikurrahman Saleh, assigned nine new deputies to the chairman and chose Amien Said Husni as the new secretary replacing Abdul Kholiq Achmad.
The party has yet to appoint someone to fill the position of MPR deputy speaker, which was left vacant by Matori, who has been appointed as the minister of defense in Megawati's Cabinet.
Separately, Abdul Kholiq, a PKB member who supports Matori's camp, called the party's national meeting and reshuffle in the party's faction invalid, calling for an extraordinary congress to solve internal friction in the party.
"Thirteen out of 29 regional PKB chapters still recognize Matori's leadership in the party and have called for an extraordinary congress to solve internal friction in the party," he said.
PKB legislators were greeted on Monday by their colleagues from other factions.
Sutradara Gintings, chairman of the Indonesian Nationhood Faction (F-KKI), called on all sides to accept the PKB faction's political stance, saying the right to a different opinion was supported by the Constitution.
"Despite the absence of an official statement, the PKB faction implicitly accepts the results of the Special Session," he said.
House Deputy Speaker A.M. Fatwa and Pramono Anung Wibowo, deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) also hailed the PKB legislators' presence. They said it was necessary for the PKB faction to clarify its stance on the Special Session because they were part of the House.
Like other factions, 27 of the PKB's 47 legislators held an internal meeting to discuss their faction's work program during the House's present term. (rms)