PKB to set up branch in Egypt

PKB to set up branch in Egypt

JAKARTA: Former president Abdurrahman Wahid's National Awakening
Party (PKB) plans to expand overseas after the Supreme Court
ruled against its rival faction in its legal battle to
participate in next year's elections, by opening a chapter in
Egypt, where thousands of Indonesian Muslims study.

PKB Chairman Alwi Shihab and other PKB members will visit
Cairo on July 17 to establish their party's Egypt branch, Antara
reported on Sunday from Cairo.

Rusydi Arif, who will lead the Egyptian chapter of PKB, was
quoted as saying Alwi and his deputy Mahfud MD, as well other
party executive board members were scheduled to arrive in Cairo
on Saturday, but the visit was delayed due to an unspecified
reason.

Rusydi said PKB's Egyptian executive board had been
established last week, comprising Indonesian members from various
provinces.

Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Bachtiar Aly was invited to the
planned inauguration next week and will give a speech at the
event, he added. --Antara