The dismissal of corruption suspect Suryadharma Ali from his position as United Development Party (PPP) chairman has renewed the possibility of the party joining the camp of president-elect Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo.

An executive meeting at PPP headquarters, which ran from late on Tuesday until early Wednesday, voted in favor of dismissing Suryadharma, who has led the party since 2007, and appointing its deputy chairman, Emron Pangkapi, known as an opponent of Suryadharma, as acting chairman.

The party is scheduled to hold a meeting next week to establish Emron as acting chairman and to decide a schedule for a national congress to elect a new chairman.

PPP secretary-general, Romahurmuziy, said that Suryadharma'€™s status as a corruption suspect would have prevented him from conducting his duties as party leader.

For the past four months, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been investigating Suryadharma over allegations that he embezzled haj funds and allocated haj slots to family members and selected lawmakers during his tenure as religious affairs minister. The investigation obliged him to step down from his ministerial post.

'€œAnother reason is that he unilaterally appointed Lukman Hakim Saifuddin [to fill the ministerial post], which reflected his inability to coordinate in his role as PPP chairman,'€ he said.

During the presidential election, Suryadharma played a major role in bringing the party into the camp of losing ticket Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa amid divisions within the PPP leadership. The ouster of Suryadharma, a staunch Prabowo supporter, could pave the way for the party to change sides.

Political parties that support Prabowo hold 353 seats in the new House of Representatives, outnumbering the 207 seats held by the parties in Jokowi'€™s camp.

If the PPP agrees to jump ship, Jokowi'€™s camp will get an additional 39 seats, up to 246 seats; still not enough, however, to beat the domination by Prabowo supporters.

The PPP, in line with other parties in Prabowo'€™s camp, have joined forces to fight for a representative-based electoral system before the current House term expires at the end of this month. Jokowi'€™s camp is struggling to retain the current system of direct elections in the regional election bill.

PPP deputy secretary-general Syaifullah Tamliha acknowledged the high probability of the PPP jumping ship to Jokowi'€™s Gotong Royong Coalition.

'€œThe situation at Tuesday night'€™s meeting indicated that the PPP would reverse its commitment to [Prabowo'€™s] Red-and-White Coalition. Well, Suharso Monoarfa was the one who made the dismissal request, so it'€™s on the cards,'€ said Syaifullah.

Suharso, the PPP deputy chairman, was known for his preference for Jokowi'€™s as presidential bid prior to the presidential election.

Syaifullah, however, said Suryadharma'€™s dismissal had been conducted in an obscure manner as the party'€™s internal regulations did not stipulate whether the PPP chairmanship could be decided by a central executive board meeting.

'€œPak Suryadharma Ali could only be dismissed through a national congress, whether through a national congress which was specifically brought forward or through an extraordinary national congress,'€ said Syaifullah.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which leads Jokowi'€™s coalition, indicated that it would welcome the Islamic party as a new member. '€œ[Former PPP chairman] Hamzah Haz was the vice president during the presidency of [PDI-P chairwoman] Megawati [Soekarnoputri]. The two have also maintained good communications up to now. So, the chemistry is still there,'€ PDI-P deputy secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said.

'€œWe'€™ll see if Suryadharma'€™s dismissal will indeed end up with the party joining Jokowi-[Jusuf] Kalla,'€ Hasto, who is also a deputy head of Jokowi-Kalla'€™s transition team, said. (ask)

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