PKB to return to DPR, MPR: Alwi

JAKARTA (JP): The National Awakening Party (PKB), after dismissing its chairman and freezing its factions at the House of Representatives and at the People's Consultative Assembly, is set to revive the factions and participate again in both institutions.

The decision to return to the legislature and fire its chairman Matori Abdul Djalil would be sealed at the party's upcoming national working meeting, slated to be held in Yogyakarta on Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, according to acting party chairman Alwi Shihab.

"The two-day-long national working meeting will reaffirm our faction's participation at the Assembly and it will also confirm the dismissal of Matori Abdul Djalil as party chairman and member," Alwi told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Caretaker foreign minister Alwi said that the decision to return to the legislature was taken during the plenary meeting of the party's executives, led by chief patron Abdurrahman Wahid, on Saturday.

"Gus Dur approved the decision (to return to the legislature) and it is almost certain that all branches will support this at the coming national meeting," Alwi said, referring to Abdurrahman by his popular nickname.

PKB froze its factions at the House and Assembly in protest of the Assembly's hastened special session that dismissed Abdurrahman from the presidency and appointed then vice president Megawati Soekarnoputri in his place.

However, several members of the party had expressed their disagreement over the decision to dissolve their factions. Some other politicians have also urged the party to return to the legislature.

In the closing statements of the special session, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais officially called on PKB to rejoin the Assembly, especially to deal with the amendment of the 1945 Constitution.

With Abdurrahman accepting the reality of his dismissal, PKB was determined to move forward by burying the hatchet and mending ties with its political foes to improve democracy in the country, Alwi said.

It would be a lot more effective for the PKB to fight for democracy inside the legislature rather than from outside state democratic institutions.

Nevertheless, the party would not backtrack on its decisions to fire Matori, who attended the Assembly's special session despite the party's decision to dissolve their factions and be absent at the session.

The party on Saturday also revoked the membership of Abdul Khalik Ahmad, PKB faction secretary at the House, who together with Matori supported the special session.

Many assume that the dismissal of the two party officials will widen the rift among PKB members, which if not resolved, will eventually hinder the party's performance at the next general elections in 2004.

Alwi, however, dismissed such an assumption.

"The two officials do not have any support from our branches across the country. Some of the branch officials, who once stated their support, have now backtracked on their own statements," Alwi remarked.

He mentioned that several officials from the Yogyakarta, South Sulawesi and Jakarta branches had apologized to the central executive board over their statements, which initially supported the two officials.

Separately, Abdul Khalik said on Sunday, that he would not form a new political party to fight PKB saying that it had never been on his mind to ruin the party he was so proud of.

"As member of PKB, I really wanted to help the party to be more rational and I still consider myself a PKB member," Abdul Khalik told the Post.

He further said that he had never been given a chance to defend himself before the party's central board of executives, who decided to fire him.

"I got fired simply because I share a different opinion. I don't think I should be fired because of that," Abdul Khalik contended.

"I will meet with Gus Dur as soon as I receive an official letter of dismissal. Gus Dur said that anybody whose right is abused should report to him and I will do that," he remarked.

Matori earlier expressed a similar statement, saying that he would also take his case to Abdurrahman, arguing that it was his right as an Assembly deputy speaker to attend the special session. (dja)