Tensions between two opposing factions in the Golkar Party have escalated as Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly validated the leadership of Agung Laksono on Monday.

The director of the ministry'€™s state affairs division, Tenan Sitepu, announced on Monday that Yasonna had issued a decree approving Golkar'€™s new committee lineup under Agung'€™s leadership, hence disowning the chairmanship of embattled incumbent Aburizal Bakrie.

The new party committee lineup comprises 394 individuals and is the largest board in the history of Golkar.

Agung has appointed three deputy chairmen '€” former House deputy speaker Priyo Budi Santoso, lawmaker Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and former lawmaker Yorrys Raweyai.

The board also includes lawmaker Zainuddin Amali as secretary-general, who will be assisted by 53 deputies; while the rest on the list lead various divisions within the party.

Lawmakers from Agung'€™s camp quickly followed up the announcement by attempting to seize control of the party'€™s faction at the House of Representatives from Aburizal'€™s loyalists.

While keeping Setya Novanto, a loyalist of Aburizal, as House speaker, Agung is focusing on removing his opponent'€™s loyalists from strategic posts in House commissions and other internal bodies.

A House plenary meeting on Monday failed to officially recognize the new control of Golkar'€™s faction as, according to House deputy speaker Fachri Hamzah, who directed the meeting, the matter had yet to be discussed among House leaders.

Fachri, in response to demands for recognition from executives of the winning faction, explained that the House had received letters from the opposing groups that required further discussion.

'€œWe must go through formal procedures before making a decision,'€ he told the audience.

Despite not earning House leaders'€™ approval, lawmaker Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, who has been appointed the new Golkar faction leader, announced the faction'€™s new board under his leadership, declaring that all affairs regarding Golkar'€™s stance in the House required his approval.

Among the candidates are Dave Akbarshah Fikarno Laksono, the son of Agung who is currently a member of House Commission I overseeing defense, foreign affairs and information; Andi Rio Idris Padjalangi, the son-in-law of Golkar senior politician Andi Mattalatta, a member of Commission X overseeing education, sports and youth affairs; Commission I lawmakers Meutya Hafid and Agun Gunanjar Sudarsa; and Airlangga Hartarto, who was previously listed as an executive of the Aburizal-camp management.

Agus said the changes were necessary to improve Golkar'€™s performance in the House and support Golkar'€™s shift to the pro-government block.

Under Aburizal'€™s chairmanship, Golkar is the leader of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition.

The winning camp has also claimed to have taken measures to takeover leadership posts within the party'€™s branches nationwide, a move cited to consolidate Golkar'€™s preparations to win the regional elections in December.

Aburizal and his supporters refused to give in, saying that the camp was filing a lawsuit against Yasonna'€™s decree with the Jakarta State Administrative Court.

'€œWe must wait for the court ruling. This country upholds the law,'€ Aburizal told the press at the House.

'€œIt is true that according to Yasonna'€™s decree the other camp leads legally, but in fact, the power is still with us. We will not allow the party'€™s faction to be taken over. We will fight,'€ he added.

An Aburizal loyalist, Bambang Soesatyo, said blame would fall on Yasonna if supporters from the two groups got involved in horizontal conflict.

'€œ[Yasonna] must take responsibility if our supporters kill each other because of this rift,'€ Bambang said.

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