Amid heated internal rivalry, the camp of United Development Party (PPP) chairman Muhammad âRomyâ Romahurmuziy has vowed to help defend the government in facing a lawsuit that challenges a government decree confirming his appointment as party chairman
mid heated internal rivalry, the camp of United Development Party (PPP) chairman Muhammad 'Romy' Romahurmuziy has vowed to help defend the government in facing a lawsuit that challenges a government decree confirming his appointment as party chairman.
PPP deputy secretary general Arsul Sani, of Romy's camp, said on Thursday that the party's central executive board would file a request with the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) to be an intervenient party in the court hearings.
Earlier on Thursday, former PPP chairman, Suryadharma Ali, who still claims to be chairman because of his camp's defiant stance against the 2014 Law and Human Rights ministerial decree that recognizes Romy's PPP leadership, filed a lawsuit with the court asking for the decree to be revoked.
'The lawsuit was based on a misleading understanding of our party's statute,' Arsul said in a statement.
In this case, the government has taken a clear stance to side with Romy's camp. Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, issued a ministerial decree recognizing Romy as the new party chief only two days after his inauguration as minister.
The decree also legalizes the changes to the PPP's central executive structure made by Romy's camp during the party's national congress on Oct. 15 in Surabaya, East Java. The congress is considered illegal by Suryadharma's camp.
Despite the decree, Suryadharma's camp held its own 'national congress' on Thursday, which also planned to appoint a chairman.
Laoly's predecessor, Amir Syamsuddin, had refused to take a stance when it came to the rivalry within PPP. The camp of Suryadharma and his political allies slammed Laoly's decision as 'abuse of power' and 'government intervention in PPP's internal matters'.
The rivalry between the two camps centers on the different political stances the party takes regarding the government.
Romy's camp wants PPP to support President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's administration, while the camp of Suryadharma, who has been named a suspect in a corruption scandal linked to the haj, has insisted it join the Red-and-White coalition that supported the losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto. (++++)
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