In contrast to his very firm stance in handling the United Development Party (PPP) internal conflict, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly has distanced himself from the Golkar Party leadership feud, perhaps in the calculated belief that such a position leaves the party in a state of political impotence.
 Yasonna, a politician with the country'€™s largest party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), has decided not to get involved in the internal affairs of his party'€™s nearest rival and has instead asked Golkar'€™s conflicting leaders to settle their problems through internal mechanisms.
 Based on an assessment of documents submitted by the two factions last week, Yasonna announced  his ministry'€™s conclusion that the party'€™s two recent and national congresses held separately by each faction were both legal.
 '€œAfter studying all aspects, including legal, factual and related paperwork, we'€™ve concluded that there are disputes [within Golkar] in which the ministry is unable to intervene,'€ Yasonna said in a press conference at his office on Tuesday.
 Shortly after his appointment to the Cabinet in October, Yasonna declared Muhammad '€œRomy'€ Romahurmuziy, who promised to bring his party into the PDI-P-led Great Indonesia Coalition in the House of Representatives, as the legitimate chairman of the PPP. Then party chairman Suryadharma Ali had up until that point supported the opposition Red-and-White Coalition. The Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN), however, annulled the minister'€™s decree.
 Golkar, which has 91 seats in the House, is the largest member of the Prabowo Subianto-led Red-and-White Coalition. The PDI-P controls 109 seats. President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo has a vested interest in persuading Golkar to join his camp, thus making it easier for him to deal with the House.
 Golkar has been riven with internal divisions since a breakaway faction of the party appointed former deputy chairman Agung Laksono as party leader in a national congress held in Ancol, North Jakarta.
 Aburizal Bakrie, who previously had secured reelection as leader in the party'€™s national congress held in Bali, insists he is the only legitimate Golkar chairman, but Agung'€™s camp has occupied the party headquarters forcing Aburizal to move elsewhere.
 '€œWith a heavy heart, we cannot make any decision on how [the disputes are settled]. It is Golkar'€™s internal [leadership] that must resolve the disputes,'€ minister Laoly said of his decision.
 Separately, Agung said that he appreciated the government'€™s call for reconciliation. '€œWe will hold a meeting tomorrow [Wednesday] to form a team that will carry out negotiations with all related parties to follow up the [ministry'€™s] decision,'€ he said.
 Aburizal however rejected the government'€™s recommendation. '€œThe government has conveyed the reason [behind its decision], of course we have to be ready for it,'€ he said at his office at the Rasuna Epicentrum in South Jakarta.
 Political analyst Hanta Yuda of the Jakarta-based Pol-Tracking Institute applauded the government'€™s decision to leave party leaders to settle their own disputes without government intervention.  
 The government'€™s neutral stance, according to Hanta, will also leave the opposing camps with only two feasible options; whether to reconcile with or without holding another national congress.
 '€œBefore working toward that [reconciliation], both factions, however, must be able to jointly set up an internal-dispute committee whose members are either in a neutral position or are acceptable to both parties,'€ he said.

Bagus BT Saragih also contributed to the report.

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