The Supreme Court has dealt Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and his supporters a heavy blow that will expel him from the party he helped found in 1998.

In a hearing Thursday, the court turned down an appeal filed by Gus Dur's National Awakening Party (PKB) against Muhaimin Iskandar and Lukman Edy, respectively the elected party chairman and secretary-general in the 2005 national congress in Semarang, for holding an extraordinary congress last May.

The extraordinary meeting dethroned Gus Dur as the party's chief patron and his daughter Yenny Wahid as the secretary-general.

A rival congress held by Gus Dur's camp just a few days earlier had dismissed Muhaimin and elected Ali Masykur Musa as his replacement while retaining Yenny as the secretary-general.

"Thank God. The truth has come and surely the bad will be eliminated," said Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, a House of Representatives lawmaker loyal to Muhaimin, responding to the court's verdict.

Last month, Gus Dur lost the legal battle to Muhaimin and Lukman as the South Jakarta District Court declared the latter's dismissal by Gus Dur illegitimate. The court said Muhaimin and Lukman should be reinstated as the party's chairman and secretary-general.

The Supreme Court's ruling confirms the legitimacy of Muhaimin and Lukman as the party leaders and allows them to consolidate the party ahead of the elections.

The dual leadership has disrupted preparations of the PKB, the nation's third-largest party in terms of popular vote, for the elections. The PKB is among 34 parties eligible to contest the polls next year.

Muhaimin said last week the Supreme Court's decision would settle the dispute beyond doubt. He added that if the court rejected Gus Dur's appeal he would lead the party to recovery.

Gus Dur had reportedly threatened to boycott the elections if the court turned down his appeal.

Many observers still consider Gus Dur the most influential figure in the PKB. He founded the party upon request of influential Nahdlatul Ulama clerics in 1998.

In response to the Supreme Court's ruling, General Elections Commission member I Gusti Putu Artha said the poll body would wait for a decree from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry before taking measures concerning the PKB's participation in the 2009 polls.

Artha said that in accordance with the political party law, the PKB had to report its legitimate board of executives to the ministry based on the Supreme Court's ruling.

"The ministry has seven days to issue a decree approving the legitimate board of executives. The KPU will then complete the process (to ensure the entry of the PKB under Muhaimin in the election)," Artha said.

The legitimate party chairman and secretary-general will have the right to approve legislative candidates to be submitted to the KPU, according to the election law.

"In this case, it is Muhaimin and Yenny that should give the approval. If one of them turns down the party list, the PKB's legislative candidates could be disqualified," Artha said.

The KPU recognizes Muhaimin and his rival Yenny as PKB chairman and secretary-general respectively.

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