Minor party infighting threatens split

JAKARTA: Arguments during an executive meeting of the National Concerned Functionary Party (PKPB) on Tuesday have placed the Golkar Party splinter group at risk of splitting.

The debate was sparked by a group of party executives who demanded an extraordinary congress to replace incumbent chairman Hartono, citing his failure to lead the party after eight years at the helm, news portal kompas.com reported.

"Hartono's leadership is authoritarian and undemocratic as is evident in the recent dismissal of regional branch leaders, which goes against the party's statutes," Sumedi Prima Abdi, a member of the Jakarta branch, told the meeting presided over by Hartono.

Sumedi claimed two-thirds of the party's regional branches supported the motion for the extraordinary congress.

Hartono, a former Army chief and information minister under former president Soeharto, hit back at his critics, asking them to prove they had strong support for the motion.

"I said I would relinquish my post due to family commitments. But should I leave office through an extraordinary congress?" he said.

Other participants criticized Hartono's lack of transparency, including the use of party funds.

"Where did the presidential election money from the Democratic Party go?" a participant asked. - JP