The internal party conflict that is heating up the political scene might disrupt the focus on overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic and its impacts.
By
DIAN DEWI PURNAMASARI/NIKOLAUS HARBOWO/RINI KUSTIASIH
·3 minutes read
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
Internal security guards stand guard at the gate of the Democratic Party\'s head office, Jalan Proklamasi, Jakarta, during a party consolidation meeting on Sunday (7/3/2021).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The internal party conflict that is heating up the political scene might disrupt the focus on overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic and its impacts. The party and government elite need to immediately find a solution to the problem.
Political Research Center head Firman Noor of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said in Jakarta on Sunday (7/3/2021) that the internal conflict caused by the alleged “coup” targeting the Democratic Party leadership through the extraordinary congress (KLB) in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, must be resolved. He said internal party disputes were harmful and could divide political parties institutionally and affect their focus in helping the government overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.
A political party that was previously unified would have to change their orientation to resolve an internal conflict, which went against the massive energy the nation needed to overcome the impacts of the pandemic.
Internal strife emerged in the Democratic Party after disgruntled members held an extraordinary congress (KLB) in Deli Serdang on Friday (5/3) and appointed Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko as the party’s new chairman for the 2021- 2025 term.
The incumbent chairman, Agus Hari Murti Yudhoyono (AHY), called the KLB illegal and unconstitutional.
ABK
Azyumardi Azra
Meanwhile, professor Azyumardi Azra from Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta (UIN Jakarta) said he regretted the extraordinary congress, which involved people external to the party, such as Moeldoko.
"The political parties, together with President Joko Widodo, must focus more on the efforts to overcome the social and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic," Azyumardi said.
Two camps
Democratic Party cofounder Hencky Luntung said that the administrative process of compiling the results of the extraordinary congress in Deli Serdang was almost finished, and would soon be submitted to the Law and Human Rights Ministry for approval.
"According to the plan, it will be submitted tomorrow [Monday]. Hopefully, there will be no obstacles. Even if there were a delay, it would be submitted on Tuesday at the latest, but it seems it can be submitted tomorrow. For sure, it will be [submitted] as soon as possible,” said Hencky.
In response, Democrat secretary-general Teuku Riefky Harsya said the current leadership would also submit the results of the legitimate party congress in March 2020, at which AHY was elected as the party chairman.
Teuku believed that the Law and Human Rights Ministry would not approve the results of the Deli Serdang KLB because the congress was illegal and violated the law as well as the party statutes. From the party’s point of view, the congress was legally void because it did not have prior approval from the Democrat’s high council chairman, nor did it meet the required procedures, he said.
Kompas
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud M.D. said that, legally speaking, the government did not recognize the party’s new leadership elected during the Deli Serdang congress. By law, the internal camp that held the KLB was obliged to report the event to the Law and Human Rights Ministry.
Mahfud said that once the Law and Human Rights Ministry had received the results of the Deli Serdang congress, the government would study their legality on the basis of both the Democrat Party’s internal regulations as well as the Political Party Law. According to the statues the party submitted to the ministry on 18 May 2020, the Democrat chairman remained Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono.
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
