Jakarta – Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, chief patron of the fractured National Awakening Party (PKB), said his camp had fired both Effendy Choiry and Ikhsan Abdullah from the party's central board.

The senior party executives were dismissed because they had affiliated themselves with a rival faction led by Muhaimin Iskandar, Gus Dur said.

"That (decision was made) three days ago because they had been nominated by Muhaimin," the former president was quoted by Antara as saying at the State Palace, Jakarta, after attending a flag hoisting ceremony to mark Indonesian Independence Day.

Gus Dur controls the PKB camp chaired by Ali Maskur Musa, in which Effendy had served as one of his deputies and Ikhsan as party head of its justice and human rights bureau.

Gus Dur said he had not decided whether to dismiss other PKB executives from his faction who had switched allegiances to Muhaimin's camp ahead of the 2009 elections.

The Justice and Human Rights Ministry has authorized the Muhaimin-led PKB to contest the upcoming elections.