PKB won't recall dissenting lawmakers

PKB won't recall dissenting lawmakers

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar
asserted on Friday he would not dismiss or recall any dissenting
PKB legislators who had opposed the party's national congress
last month.

Muhaimin, also a House of Representatives deputy speaker, made
the statement because he was perceiving fears from these PKB
members that he would recall them from their legislative posts.

Despite strong demands for their dismissal, Muhaimin said
having dissenting members was common and he would not recall them
unless they kept on creating negative public opinion to the level
that it affected the party's consolidation process.

"They're having this fight simply because they're afraid of
being dismissed. Like AS Hikam, who probably fears that I'd dump
him for betraying me after everything I've done to help him,"
said Muhaimin, referring to the PKB lawmaker at House Commission
I who supports the opposing Alwi Shihab's camp.

PKB holds 52 seats in the House.

The party slipped into a chronic dispute between supporters of
Muhaimin and Alwi, following the party's congress last month that
elected Muhaimin as the new chairman, and former president
Abdurrahman Wahid as chief patron.

Alwi, the Coordinating Minister of Social Welfare, called the
congress illegitimate as it did not involve him as PKB chairman,
or State Minister for the Development of Disadvantaged Regions
Syaifullah Yusuf as PKB secretary general.

The two were suspended after joining President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono's Cabinet, whose presidential bid was not supported by
the PKB. Alwi and Syaifullah have questioned the suspension
because holding dual positions was not regulated at all in the
party's statutes.

"But they, along with other four PKB members who were expected
to be appointed ministers had previously agreed in a plenary
meeting to resign party posts should they become ministers. They
also signed an agreement letter," Muhaimin said.

Alwi later filed a lawsuit at the South Jakarta District Court
on the grounds that the party had failed to inform the Ministry
of Justice and Human Rights about the suspension during the
maximum 30 day period, and thus the leadership remains in his
hands.

Despite this, Muhaimin submitted the party's new line up at
the ministry for registration. However, the ministry has asked
all disputing parties to resolve their conflict first, and that
it would not make any legal registration pending a court
decision.

"The submission of the party structure is for administrative
reasons only. There's no legal element there," Muhaimin argued.

He said, however, that the party would take unspecified
actions against PKB members and senior clerics who support Alwi
in East Java, the party's main stronghold, who have held
exclusive meetings and are calling for their own congress.

"These clerics have three hidden agendas; to keep Alwi and
Syaifullah in the Cabinet, to (maintain) local conflict in East
Java, and to prevent PKB from being an open party as they wish to
keep the PKB as an Islamic party forever," said Muhaimin.