Saifullah Yusuf quits Mega's party, join PKB

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Saifullah Yusuf is back in the habitat where he belongs: Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization that claims to have 40 million members.

After three years serving as a legislator with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), he announced on Tuesday he would join the NU-linked National Awakening Party (PKB), the country's fourth largest political party.

Over the years, Saifullah has also served as a "liaison officer" between PDI Perjuangan chief Megawati Soekarnoputri and PKB patriarch Abdurrahman Wahid.

Megawati and Abdurrahman were close allies until an impeachment process brought the latter down last July, allowing Megawati to assume the presidency.

Saifullah, a nephew of Abdurrahman, is shifting his allegiance to the PKB for a reason: he wants to take over the leadership of the party, which has split due to leadership rivalries.

He will be nominated as chairman of the PKB camp loyal to Abdurrahman, which will hold its congress from Jan. 17 to Jan. 19 in Yogyakarta. The rival camp is led by Matori Abdul Djalil, an ally of Megawati, who was appointed as her defense minister.

Reliable sources told The Jakarta Post that Saifullah has the support of influential PKB leaders.

After meeting PDI Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri on Tuesday, Saifullah said the reason why he was quitting the PDI Perjuangan was because he wanted to be "among his friends" in Ansor and the PKB.

Ansor is the NU's youth wing and is chaired by Saifullah.

"I do not have enough time to be a good legislator for the PDI Perjuangan because I also have to lead Ansor. I have decided to be with my friends again in the PKB," Saifullah said.

He confirmed reports that he harbors the ambition of leading the PKB. "If I have enough support, I will run for the chairmanship of the PKB," he said.

Saifullah was known as a good friend of Megawati and he accompanied her on official trips while she was the vice president in Abdurrahman's presidency.

Megawati accepted Saifullah's resignation as a PDI Perjuangan legislator and expressed the hope that he would maintain the good relations between the two parties, both of which were committed to nationalism.