Despite earlier defeats in legal battles over his legitimacy, Muhammad Romahurmuziy has been unanimously elected chair of the pro-government United Development Party (PPP).

After the three-day national muktamar islah (reconciliation congress) Romahurmuziy, whose position had previously been annulled by a Supreme Court ruling, gained the full support of party members as well as government officials, after his rival Djan Faridz declined to attend the congress.

Djan rejected the congress after the government refused to acknowledge his leadership following the Supreme Court’s decision to annul a ministerial decree that had legitimized Romahurmuziy’s leadership.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who attended the congress’ closing ceremony, said he had asked Djan to end the party rift and open his heart and accept reconciliation for the sake of the party’s unity.

“I have communicated with Djan and urged him to [accept the reconciliation]. He said that he would consider it,” Kalla said after the congress, which took place at the Pondok Gede Haj Dormitory in East Jakarta.

“I know that [both camps] are currently engaged in legal processes, but I hope they will be able to resolve this soon,” he added.

The congress, which was attended by 1,000 members from 33 regional chapters, declared Romahurmuziy chairman in a smooth process.

Serving as secretary-general under the tenure of Suryadharma Ali, Romahurmuziy had led a faction within the party that declared its support for the government after the 2014 presidential election.

He had been appointed chairman at a congress in Surabaya in October 2014, an appointment that was later accepted by the Law and Human Rights Ministry. Djan, who was later elected chairman at a rival congress in Jakarta, successfully challenged the ministerial decree in court.

This was followed by another ministerial decree authorizing the central board committee as constituted under Suryadharma’s leadership to temporarily reconvene and pave the way for the reconciliation congress.

Kalla said the congress should mark an end to the leadership dispute that had riven the party for over a year. “I hope this is over. I’m sure all of the party’s members are tired. The government is also tired. The party has many more challenges on its agenda other than an internal dispute. Don’t waste money and energy on any more congresses or disputes,” Kalla said.

Romahurmuziy then promised a “suitable position” for Djan in the party if he agreed to reconcile.

“I’m willing to place him in whatever position he wants, whether it’s on the executive board, as vice chairman or secretary-general, whatever can bring him back to us,” Romahurmuziy said.

Romahurmuziy also said that he aimed to restore the party to the top three in the 2019 general election, as was achieved in the 1999 and 2004 general elections.

Separately, Djan insisted that Romahurmuziy had no authority to determine the party’s legal structure pending the outcome of the legal challenge he had filed in court.

He acknowledged that he had talked with Kalla regarding the reconciliation but told him that he could not accept the reconciliation. “Because I obey the law and the national congress has violated the Supreme Court’s decision,” he said.

Djan camp secretary-general Dimyati Natakusumah said he would not accept the position Romahurmuziy had promised him and would prefer to go through the legal process first. “We shouldn’t have held the congress before the legal process was complete. To me, yesterday’s congress was just a silaturahmi [friendly visit] between a political party and the President and Vice President, which I really appreciate,” Dimyati said.

“It’s Romy’s camp that filed for the judicial review, but it’s also them who held the national congress,” he added.

Furthermore, Dimyati said, Romahurmuziy’s election as chairman was a foregone conclusion as the national congress was merely a repeat of the Surabaya congress.
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