PKB to return to DPR, MPR: Alwi

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)