Jakarta, NU Online
External forces pursuing their own political interests ahead of the 2009 elections are to blame for the split within the National Awakening Party (PKB), according to the faction led by former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.
"The rift occurred because some political powers are eager to co-opt PKB members through their agents inside the party," PKB secretary-general Yenny Zannuba Wahid said in a discussion with The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<>
"This has been going on since Pak Matori Abdul Djalil, and again with Alwi Shihab and now Muhaimin Iskandar."
Yenny, who is Gus Dur's daughter, said the PKB had become a target because of its strong support in East Java, which would be a determining factor in the 2009 presidential election.
The PKB split into two rival factions after its central board dismissed party chairman Muhaimin Iskandar.
The two camps -- one led by Ali Masykur Musa loyal to Gus Dur and the other led by Muhaiman, the House of Representatives deputy speaker -- held separate extraordinary meetings earlier this month.
The two factions are waiting for a court ruling to be able to register for the 2009 elections.
Yenny said Muhaimin was dismissed because he had repeatedly contradicted PKB policies, including one on the devastating mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java.
The PKB took the position the mudflow was not a natural disaster connected to an earthquake in Yogyakarta.
"Actually, the conflict started about two and a half years ago. Gus Dur was too good to him and gave him a lot of leeway," Yenny said.
"In some cases, Gus Dur had to deny PKB statements soon after they were released to the media when Muhaiman still led the party."
Yenny said Muhaimin's camp was illegitimate because it was the outcome of an extraordinary meeting that failed to comply with the party's standing orders and statute.
Of the 33 official PKB chapters, she said, only three had attended the meeting held by Muhaimin's camp, and only five of the 27 central executive board members had been present.
No members of the party's law-making body, led by Gus Dur, attended the meeting.
"We have complete documentation about who attended our meeting," said Yenny, while accusing the Muhaimin camp of misusing the names of Gus Dur and other influential party leaders in their invitations to their meeting.
"We could take them to court for that. But we won't."
Yenny said the PKB nominated Gus Dur for the 2009 presidential election because the party had an "unfinished mission" to bring about changes to the nation and uphold pluralism in the predominantly Muslim country.
"Our mission can only be accomplished by a brave leader such as Gus Dur," she said.
"We want to be like the Latin American nations that have successfully recovered from their dependence on foreign powers, which dictated their economic policy. They proved when they released themselves from the Washington Consensus that they could change their nations."
"This is also a mission that we have not accomplished."
Chairman of Gus Dur's faction, Ali Masykur Musa, said his faction aimed to abolish discrimination in the country.
"If Gus Dur, who is well known as an anti-discrimination advocate, could be discriminated against because he is blind, how must things be for other minorities in this country?" Masykur said. (dar)
External forces pursuing their own political interests ahead of the 2009 elections are to blame for the split within the National Awakening Party (PKB), according to the faction led by former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.
"The rift occurred because some political powers are eager to co-opt PKB members through their agents inside the party," PKB secretary-general Yenny Zannuba Wahid said in a discussion with The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<>
"This has been going on since Pak Matori Abdul Djalil, and again with Alwi Shihab and now Muhaimin Iskandar."
Yenny, who is Gus Dur's daughter, said the PKB had become a target because of its strong support in East Java, which would be a determining factor in the 2009 presidential election.
The PKB split into two rival factions after its central board dismissed party chairman Muhaimin Iskandar.
The two camps -- one led by Ali Masykur Musa loyal to Gus Dur and the other led by Muhaiman, the House of Representatives deputy speaker -- held separate extraordinary meetings earlier this month.
The two factions are waiting for a court ruling to be able to register for the 2009 elections.
Yenny said Muhaimin was dismissed because he had repeatedly contradicted PKB policies, including one on the devastating mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java.
The PKB took the position the mudflow was not a natural disaster connected to an earthquake in Yogyakarta.
"Actually, the conflict started about two and a half years ago. Gus Dur was too good to him and gave him a lot of leeway," Yenny said.
"In some cases, Gus Dur had to deny PKB statements soon after they were released to the media when Muhaiman still led the party."
Yenny said Muhaimin's camp was illegitimate because it was the outcome of an extraordinary meeting that failed to comply with the party's standing orders and statute.
Of the 33 official PKB chapters, she said, only three had attended the meeting held by Muhaimin's camp, and only five of the 27 central executive board members had been present.
No members of the party's law-making body, led by Gus Dur, attended the meeting.
"We have complete documentation about who attended our meeting," said Yenny, while accusing the Muhaimin camp of misusing the names of Gus Dur and other influential party leaders in their invitations to their meeting.
"We could take them to court for that. But we won't."
Yenny said the PKB nominated Gus Dur for the 2009 presidential election because the party had an "unfinished mission" to bring about changes to the nation and uphold pluralism in the predominantly Muslim country.
"Our mission can only be accomplished by a brave leader such as Gus Dur," she said.
"We want to be like the Latin American nations that have successfully recovered from their dependence on foreign powers, which dictated their economic policy. They proved when they released themselves from the Washington Consensus that they could change their nations."
"This is also a mission that we have not accomplished."
Chairman of Gus Dur's faction, Ali Masykur Musa, said his faction aimed to abolish discrimination in the country.
"If Gus Dur, who is well known as an anti-discrimination advocate, could be discriminated against because he is blind, how must things be for other minorities in this country?" Masykur said. (dar)
