Sacked PKB chief gets government's encouragement

Jakarta, NU Online
Dismissed National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Muhaimin Iskandar has received a moral boost from the government to resolve the party's boiling internal conflict amicably.

"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his concern about the conflict and asked me to maintain composure. Vice President Jusuf Kalla also encouraged me and prayed for me in order to resolve the problem soon," Muhaimin told reporters at the vice presidential office<> Tuesday (8/4).

Muhaimin paid a visit to the President and vice president a day after he quietly met PKB chief patron Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid who initiated his dismissal as party chairman. On Saturday the party executives officially axed Muhaimin, who was elected party leader in 2005.

Moral support for Muhaimin also came from the alumni of the Indonesian Muslim Student Movement (PMII), which he once chaired.

"We support all of our alumni but we are still thinking about what we can do in the dismissal case of Muhaimin," PMII alumni chairman Ahmad Bagdja told reporters after a meeting with Kalla.

Muhaimin insisted his dismissal was illegitimately decided in a Syura council meeting. The Jakarta Post reported.

"It is an illegitimate decision as the Syura is the lowest meeting in the PKB's structure. The dismissal must be endorsed in a national congress," he said.

He said he had issued a decree that prohibits party executives from issuing official letters on behalf of the party, including the letter required for registration with the General Elections Commission (KPU).

"Starting today, no official letters can be issued by the party without my signature," he said.

He said no other party factions could claim the legitimacy to register the PKB with the KPU to contest the 2009 elections.

"This mechanism applies at the Golkar Party which is led by Pak Jusuf Kalla and the United Development Party under Suryadarma Ali. The official letters must be signed by the party's leader," Muhaimin said.

To counter the move of PKB executives loyal to Gus Dur, who has suspended executive boards in 40 branches, Muhaimin said he would reshuffle the party central board of executives in line with a leadership meeting he presided over Sunday.

"Yenny Wahid might be one of those who will be shown the door," Muhaimin said, referring to the party's secretary general.

An investigation team set up by Muhaimin disclosed seven party members blamed for the internal dispute. They included Yenny, who is Gus Dur's daughter.

Muhaimin said there was nothing special about his meeting with Gus Dur on Monday.

"We have yet to talk about serious matters facing the party; it was just a get-together. And we agreed that we need to cool down," he said.

Gus Dur, however, has insisted Muhaimin's dismissal and the suspension of 40 party chapters was final. Speaking in the West Java town of Cirebon, the former president said the decision was aimed at cleaning up and rebuilding the party.

"I took a harsh measure because they are dirty. We need to build a clean party which strives for the people's welfare. Thank God now the party is relatively cleaner," he said. (dar)