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faction of the Golkar Party led by Aburizal Bakrie is planning to report the party'€™s internal dispute committee (mahkamah) to the police following the body'€™s involvement in the party'€™s protracted leadership conflict.

A lawyer for Aburizal'€™s camp, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has reportedly sent a letter to a panel of judges at the West Jakarta District Court objecting to an earlier letter sent to the court to halt the judicial process.

The court is hearing a lawsuit from Aburizal'€™s camp, which has accused the other camp led by Agung Laksono of violating the party'€™s internal rule of association by defying a national congress in Bali.

'€œA letter from Golkar'€™s [internal dispute committee] is a form of intervention that may lead to contempt of court,'€ said Yusril in the letter as quoted by Antara news agency.

'€œWe will preserve our rights by reporting [this case] to the police.'€

Golkar, the largest political party in the opposition Red-and-White Coalition, has been struggling with internal conflicts since a breakaway faction of the party appointed former deputy chairman Agung as its own party leader in a national congress in Ancol, North Jakarta.

Agung, who has pledged to lead Golkar into joining the ruling coalition, has successfully gathered support from fellow senior Golkar politicians who strongly criticized the leadership of chairman Aburizal, who secured reelection in a party national congress that was held earlier in Bali.

Agung was elected party chairman at the national congress in Ancol.

On Dec. 8, both factions submitted documents detailing the party'€™s leadership changes at their respective congresses to gain formal recognition from the government.

Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly said the government would only recognize Aburizal'€™s leadership since it was established during Golkar'€™s national congress in 2009.

Attempts at reconciliation, including a settlement through mahkamah, have been fruitless, resulting in both factions filing lawsuits against each other.

The Central Jakarta Court decided to reject Agung'€™s lawsuit since the case was already being tried at the West Jakarta Court.

The proposal to settle the dispute through the mahkamah was earlier rejected as a majority on the dispute committee were supporters of Aburizal.

Agung'€™s camp pleaded to the dispute committee, as ordered by the Central Jakarta District Court that had rejected his lawsuit.

Yusril said the dispute committee'€™s decision to run with Agung'€™s plea was inconsistent and said Aburizal'€™s camp would wait for the court verdict slated for March 8.

Aburizal'€™s camp skipped hearings led by the mahkamah last week, making it difficult for the committee to progress the case.

Agung'€™s camp slammed Aburizal'€™s absence at the party'€™s hearings and accused him of defying a court order.

'€œWe respect the supremacy of the law and have complied with its demands. If they [Aburizal'€™s camp] decline to show up, it means they don'€™t respect the law,'€ said a spokesperson for Agung'€™s camp, Leo Nababan.

On Sunday, Leo said that he had not learned of Aburizal'€™s camp reporting members of the internal dispute committee to the police.

'€œI have to check this information first,'€ he said.

The party'€™s dispute committee is led by Muladi, a former justice minister, while members include former Diponegoro rector Natabaya, former law and human rights minister Andi Mattalatta and retired Army general Maj. Gen. (ret.) Djasri Marin.

Leo said that the dispute committee consisted of people with integrity, who understood the law.

'€œI am convinced the [party dispute committee] members understand the law and will bring justice in this case,'€ he said.