Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Arguing that the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is in deep need of fresh blood, the party's advisory board chairman Taufik Kiemas on Monday said he hoped he would not get re-elected to the board.

Unlike in the previous party congress in 2005, the advisory board is not chosen by the congress but by re-elected party chairwoman Megawati Sukarno-putri and her executive board.

"I hope I will not be chosen for the next period. Let the younger members lead the board," said Taufik, who is also Megawati's husband.

Taufik, who has chaired the board since 2005, said the new advisory board lineup would be issued soon but gave no details.

Although the PDI-P's structural chart places the authority of the board's chairman directly beneath that of the party's chairwoman, decisions made by the board have often been referred to party members and politicians from other parties.

Taufik said he would bow to the decision of the younger members on the new executive board. "They're the ones who should pick the people for the board," he said. "If they vote for me to serve again, what can I say?"

He said he was aware of complaints from within the party about the new executive board, but dismissed them as sour grapes on the part of members excluded from the new board.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "If anyone's got a complaint, just hand in your resignation. No need to take it to the media."

Separately, Hatta Radjasa's National Mandate Party (PAN) announced on Monday that it had fired seven members for violating internal regulations by forming a rival national executive board.

The seven people are Djunaedi, Hamid Husein, M Hata Taliwang, Perwanto, Mukhtar Efendi, Andi Rusdianto and Baron Danardono.

"They violated our party's good name and our internal regulations," said senior PAN official Viva Yoga Mauladi, adding that the party would bring them up on unspecified criminal charges. "It's what we do to enforce discipline, organization rules, among members," he said as quoted by Vivanews.com.

Last week, the seven men announced they had established a new PAN leadership, called PAN LEGAL. They said they did not recognize the party's current national leader board chaired by Hatta, the coordinating minister for the economy, elected during the party's congress in January.