Hasyim Widhiarto and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – A faction within the conflict-torn United Development Party (PPP) has rejected a decision made by the House of Representatives to authorize a party leadership reshuffle at the legislature without securing an approval from faction members.
PPP lawmaker Arsul Sani said the House leadership must revoke its decision to install Epyardi Asda and Mustofa Assegaf as the faction's new chairman and secretary, respectively, given that the decision was made at the urging of Djan Faridz, whose leadership in the party had been a subject of prolonged legal dispute.
Arsul, a supporter of the PPP camp led by Muhammad "Romy" Romahurmuziy, also considered the endorsement from the House leadership, which is dominated by members of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition, a form of political intervention.
"According to Article 20 point 7 of the House's Code of Conduct, the leader of a faction is inaugurated by [members of] the respective faction. We never held a meeting to appoint a new faction leader," Arsul said in a House plenary meeting on Thursday.
He called on the House to stop meddling in the party's internal affairs. "We call on the House leadership to help maintain a conducive situation within the PPP faction as the two opposing camps wait for the issuance of a final court verdict or a possible reconciliation."
The PPP, the country's oldest Islamic-based party, controls 39 out of 560 House seats, making it the House's eighth largest faction.
The internal rift within the PPP dates back to the days leading up to the presidential election last year over the different stances of members on political support for the two contesting candidates: Joko "Jokowi" Widodo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Prabowo Subianto of the Gerindra Party.
Then PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali announced PPP's support for Prabowo, a decision that was eventually challenged by Romy and his followers, who claimed the chairmanship after the presidential election and pledged to support President Jokowi's administration.
Soon after the inauguration of the new batch of lawmakers in October, the PPP appointed Hasrul Azwar and Muhammad Arwani Thomafi as the chairman and secretary of the faction, respectively.
A letter signed by House Speaker Setya Novanto, a Golkar Party lawmaker, on April 16, however, reassigned Hasrul as an advisor to the PPP faction and Arwani as a deputy secretary. Although the letter was issued almost two months ago, Arsul said it circulated among PPP lawmakers only recently.
House Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon, meanwhile, defended the House decision. "According to the party's committee handling the dispute and the Jakarta State Administrative Court [PTUN], it is clear that Pak Djan's leadership [is legal]," he said.
In February, the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) annulled a Law and Human Rights Ministry decree that officially recognized Romy's leadership and thus returned control over the PPP to Djan, who was elected chairman to replace Suryadharma after the latter was named a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly, however, has filed a lawsuit with the State Administrative High Court (PTTUN) to challenge the ruling. The PTTUN is expected to announce its ruling this month.
The prolonged legal battle between the two camps within the PPP has also put the party at risk of not being able to nominate its candidates to contest he 269 regional elections set to take place simultaneously throughout the country on Dec. 9.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/05/ppp-infighting-spreads-house-representatives.html