Aulia Andri/GB, Jakarta – If the Golkar Party pointed the finger at the 'communist bogeyman' and specifically the People's Democratic Party (PRD) for the arson attack on their East Java headquarters, others are maintaining there was another third party involved.

Deputy Secretary General of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Chotibul Umam Wiranu, said the arsonists were from the Golkar Party itself.

After the House decided to accept a report implicating the President in two corruption scandals two weeks ago, Wahid's supporters in East Java targeted Golkar offices in the province. The worst attack occurred on Wednesday 7 February when Golkar's provincial headquarters in Surabaya were set alight following a massive demonstration at the legislative council.

Golkar Party Chairman and Speaker of the House, Akbar Tanjung and head of the Central leaders' Council Mahadi Sinambula said the 'communist' PRD had incited and taken part in the attack. The PRD filed a complaint with the police and challenged them to back up the claims. Yesterday, a coalition of 40 groups which partook in the demonstration on 7 February met with the national police chief and denied that their followers or the PRD were behind the incident.

This group, as well as leaders of the PRD, maintain that the fire began at the back of the building not at the front where the demonstrators were gathered.

Now, their ranks have been joined by the PKB. The party was established by Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which was headed by President Wahid for 15 years.

Chotibul Umam Wiranu spoke to the press Wednesday at the parliament complex. "The information we've obtained from the East Java provincial leaders' council of the PKB [shows that] the ones who carried out the arson on the Golkar East Java offices were people who came out of the Golkar office [before the fire began]. Therefore, they are Golkar's own people," he said.

This had already been verified he added. "It's been strengthened by the fact that five people arrested by the East Java police turned out not to be from the NU, PKB or Banser," he said. Banser is the paramilitary 'security force' of the NU.

In fact 11 suspects have been detained over the attack. The police have been very reticent to reveal their identities and continue to maintain that their investigations are still underway.