A senior figure in the Golkar Party has criticized the split in the party'€™s leadership.

'€œThis is the first time a split has happened in the party. It'€™s embarrassing,'€ Muladi said at party headquarters in Slipi, West Jakarta, on Tuesday.

He said the internal rift had to be settled soon as the party would suffer if the conflict was left unresolved.

'€œParty functionaries in regions will also be split, because the party needs internal solidity to anticipate upcoming simultaneous local elections. We have to set a good example by empowering the party'€™s tribunal to settle the rift,'€ he said.

The split emerged after a group of party members led by former coordinating minister for people'€™s welfare Agung Laksono, protested against the party'€™s decision to suspend the national congress scheduled for October last year until January this year.

The move ran into opposition from party members loyal to party chairman Aburizal Bakrie and his reelection campaign.

Aburizal'€™s camp eventually held a national congress in Bali in November 2015, and reelected him for the 2014-2019 period. Meanwhile, Agung'€™s camp held a separate congress in Ancol, North Jakarta, in December 2015, which concluded in Agung'€™s election as the new chairman.

Both camps went to court after they failed to reconcile. The government reportedly recognized both factions as legitimate.

The Central Jakarta District Court declined to try the case and ordered a party tribunal to determine which faction was legitimate.

Lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo, the party treasurer from the Aburizal camp, said his faction had yet to decide whether to attend the tribunal.

'€œI can already see that whatever decision the tribunal will make, it will certainly be biased,'€ Bambang said. (***)

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