Jakarta, NU Online
Following the fate of her elder brother, former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, Lily Chadijah Wahid has been forced to leave her post as deputy chief patron of the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Lily's dismissal came after a meeting between the PKB's advisory and executive boards on Thursday evening, which responded to her protest against double positions held by her nephew Muhaimin Iskandar, the party chairman and new manpower and transmigration minister in the current Cabinet.<>
"Tifatul Sembiring resigned as president of the Prosperous Justice Party *PKS* as soon as he was appointed *information and communications* minister as did *current Speaker of the House of Representatives* Marzuki Alie, who was secretary general. Why hasn't Muhaimin followed suit?" Lily was quoted as saying Friday by news portal detik.com.
Lily said her dismissal violated the existing party procedures, which require prior notification. She added she would take legal action against the PKB for dismissing her, saying "I haven't been given an opportunity to defend myself . I have a legal right, and I will use it."
She said she was waiting for official notification of her dismissal while her legal team prepares to file a case.
Lily recently requested the Constitutional Court conduct a judicial review on Article 23 of the 2008 State Ministry Law, which forbids a Cabinet minister from holding multiple positions in certain organizations.
The article states that ministers are not allowed to hold other positions in other state agencies, act as commissioners or executives in state-owned or private companies or head organizations funded by state or regional budgets.
Lily asked the justices to clarify whether the article also prohibited ministers from being chairperson of a political party.
"Political parties receive funding from state and regional budgets, thus ministers should not be allowed to hold double positions as party chairperson," Lily's lawyer Edy Sutrisno Sidabutar was quoted as saying by news portal vivanews.com during a hearing at the Court last week.
The PKB, however, disagreed with Lily.
Thursday's meeting of the party's advisory and executive boards concluded that Lily's move to file for the judicial review disrupted party solidarity.
Countering Lily's claim, PKB spokesman Agus Sulis said the party had issued Lily a verbal warning followed by a series of written warnings, which instructed her to preserve the dignity and unity of the party.
As reported by The Jakarta Post, the Islamic-based PKB, founded by former president Abdurrahman Wahid, had been plagued with infighting since Gus Dur, then the party's chief patron, sought the dismissal of Muhaimin.
Muhaimin took his case to the court, which issued a ruling supporting him. Gus Dur and Muhaimin then created two different factions within the party, of which Muhaimin's was recognized by the General Elections Commission as a participant in the April 9 legislative elections.
PKB members and observers have acknowledged that the prolonged conflict was the main factor for the party's poor performance in the last general elections.
The party garnered less than 5 percent of total votes in this year's election, down from 10 percent in 2004. (dar)
Following the fate of her elder brother, former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, Lily Chadijah Wahid has been forced to leave her post as deputy chief patron of the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Lily's dismissal came after a meeting between the PKB's advisory and executive boards on Thursday evening, which responded to her protest against double positions held by her nephew Muhaimin Iskandar, the party chairman and new manpower and transmigration minister in the current Cabinet.<>
"Tifatul Sembiring resigned as president of the Prosperous Justice Party *PKS* as soon as he was appointed *information and communications* minister as did *current Speaker of the House of Representatives* Marzuki Alie, who was secretary general. Why hasn't Muhaimin followed suit?" Lily was quoted as saying Friday by news portal detik.com.
Lily said her dismissal violated the existing party procedures, which require prior notification. She added she would take legal action against the PKB for dismissing her, saying "I haven't been given an opportunity to defend myself . I have a legal right, and I will use it."
She said she was waiting for official notification of her dismissal while her legal team prepares to file a case.
Lily recently requested the Constitutional Court conduct a judicial review on Article 23 of the 2008 State Ministry Law, which forbids a Cabinet minister from holding multiple positions in certain organizations.
The article states that ministers are not allowed to hold other positions in other state agencies, act as commissioners or executives in state-owned or private companies or head organizations funded by state or regional budgets.
Lily asked the justices to clarify whether the article also prohibited ministers from being chairperson of a political party.
"Political parties receive funding from state and regional budgets, thus ministers should not be allowed to hold double positions as party chairperson," Lily's lawyer Edy Sutrisno Sidabutar was quoted as saying by news portal vivanews.com during a hearing at the Court last week.
The PKB, however, disagreed with Lily.
Thursday's meeting of the party's advisory and executive boards concluded that Lily's move to file for the judicial review disrupted party solidarity.
Countering Lily's claim, PKB spokesman Agus Sulis said the party had issued Lily a verbal warning followed by a series of written warnings, which instructed her to preserve the dignity and unity of the party.
As reported by The Jakarta Post, the Islamic-based PKB, founded by former president Abdurrahman Wahid, had been plagued with infighting since Gus Dur, then the party's chief patron, sought the dismissal of Muhaimin.
Muhaimin took his case to the court, which issued a ruling supporting him. Gus Dur and Muhaimin then created two different factions within the party, of which Muhaimin's was recognized by the General Elections Commission as a participant in the April 9 legislative elections.
PKB members and observers have acknowledged that the prolonged conflict was the main factor for the party's poor performance in the last general elections.
The party garnered less than 5 percent of total votes in this year's election, down from 10 percent in 2004. (dar)
