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burizal Bakrie, a Golkar Party politician whose leadership of the party has been upheld by the Supreme Court, could unilaterally decide who will be on the party'€™s executive board without involving the party'€™s rival camp led by Agung Laksono.

'€œWell, of course as the legitimate chairman I will decide on the change in central executive board membership,'€ Aburizal said on Wednesday, adding that he ruled out any joint congress involving the rival camp to select a new party leader.

Aburizal maintained that his stance was consistent with a reconciliation deal signed by both camps that set out a mechanism in which the party leadership would be decided through a legal process.

Aburizal said that although he called on all Golkar executives at all levels to join a consolidation that he led, his camp would insist that the losing camp submitted to any decision he made.

'€œThe Supreme Court ruling is not debatable. Those who reject it only show that they don'€™t understand it or have not read it,'€ he said.

The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in favor of Aburizal and the United Development Party'€™s (PPP) Djan Faridz, granting them the leadership of their respective parties.

The two rulings overturned two previous State High Administrative Court (PTTUN) decisions that had granted the respective party leadership positions to Aburizal'€™s rival, Agung Laksono, and the leader of Djan'€™s opposition camp, Muhammad Romahurmuziy.

Both Agung and Romahurmuziy have pledged support for President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s administration, while Djan and Aburizal are supporters of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition.

Following the Supreme Court ruling and amid a possible fresh internal rift, Aburizal said that Golkar would not change its stance.

'€œGolkar will continue giving its input, but at the same time, we will give criticism from outside the government,'€ Aburizal said.

He also called on all Golkar leaders across the country to focus on efforts to win the upcoming simultaneous regional elections, or Pilkada.

Meanwhile, Romahurmuziy, the leader of a splinter group that defied former Suryadharma Ali'€™s chairmanship after the presidential election, restated his objection, saying that Djan'€™s leadership had no legal basis and signaled that he was ready to challenge the Supreme Court ruling.

Romahurmuziy has said that although the Supreme Court has ordered Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly to revoke the decree that validated his chairmanship, the ruling could not be used to validate Djan'€™s leadership if the minister had not yet revoked the decree.

He said that the Jakarta congress which appointed Djan as party chairman was not the petitioner in the Supreme Court cassation case and that the legal dispute had actually started before the congress, Romahurmuziy said that '€œif Yasonna revokes the decree, it means that the chairmanship returns to the [previous] Bandung congress that appointed Suryadharma Ali as its chairman and Romahurmuziy as its secretary general.'€

He also said that the ministry had rejected two proposals filed by Djan'€™s camp in late 2014 and March this year to confirm the leadership of his rival.

Djan was the appointed successor of Suryadharma.

Romahurmuziy said that he would exhaust all legal avenues to challenge the Supreme Court, including filing a case review.
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