Internal rift to harm PKB consolidation for elections

Jakarta, NU Online
The dismissal of Muhaimin Iskandar as the National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman will disrupt the party's internal consolidation process ahead of next year's elections, a former party executive said Friday (28/3).

Lukman Edy, a former PKB deputy secretary and the current state minister for disadvantaged regions, said he was disappointed with the party's decision to remove his political ally, Muhaimin.<>

"I regret the party's hasty decision. The internal conflict will upset the party's consolidation for the upcoming elections," Lukman told the press at the presidential office, Jakarta.

He said the PKB central board should have found and settled the core problem of the conflict instead of making such a decision.

On Wednesday night the board voted Muhaimin, a nephew of former president and PKB co-founder Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, resign as party chief.

The meeting was presided over by Gus Dur, who is chief patron of the party.

Lukman said the vote was flawed because only 20 out of the 60 PKB central executive board members attended the meeting.

Muhaimin was elected as the PKB head by 400 party members during a meeting in Semarang, Central Java, three years ago, he said.

Reliable sources from within the party said Muhaimin was removed for allegedly conspiring with Lukman to sideline Gus Dur, who is the chairman of PKB's powerful supervisory council.

The move was aimed at weakening the party's support for Gus Dur's presidential bid in 2009, according to the sources.

"The dismissal of Muhaimin was a preemptive effort to block this underhanded move," said a PKB source.

Lukman denied the allegations.

He said irresponsible groups are attempting to break the party's unity by spreading rumors.

"There were so many slanders whispered to Gus Dur. I regret the PKB based their decision on them," Lukman said.

The minister also denied having a close relationship with Muhaimin and that the ongoing internal conflict within the PKB would further affect his position at the Cabinet.

"We don't talk about my position. I have nothing to lose. Besides, it is the President's prerogative," he said.

Another PKB member of Cabinet, Erman Suparno, similarly expressed disappointment with the removal of Muhaimin.

However, the manpower and transmigration minister declined to elaborate.

Muhaimin, also a current deputy House of Representatives speaker, said Friday he remained the PKB central executive board chairman.

He said he would form a team to investigate the reasons for the dismissal.

"I believe people who don't like me influenced Gus Dur to turn against me," he said.

Muhaimin said he wanted to reveal the truth about the vote against him before making the decision to resign or not.

Gus Dur's close ally, Muslim Abdurrahman, said Muhaimin had to accept the decision or the party would fire him.

Even without a vote, Gus Dur as the PKB chief patron was authorized to dismiss any party executive, Muslim said.

"The supervisory board is the highest institution in PKB. The Semarang congress granted such a powerful authority to its chief," Muslim said, as quoted by Antara. (jp/dar)