Jakarta, NU Online
National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman and Manpower and Transmigration Minister, Muhaimin Iskandar is asking the government not to approve a splinter group’s application to become a political party.

A copy of a letter sent by the PKB to the Law and Human Rights Ministry dated Aug. 25 was made available to the Post.

As reported by The Jakarta Post, the letter, which was signed by Muhaimin and PKB secretary-general Imam Nahrawi, asked the ministry “to reject the proposal of the National Archipelago Prosperity Party [PKBN].”

The PKBN was founded by Zannuba Arifah Chafsoh “Yenny” Wahid, the daughter of Indonesia’s fourth president, Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, who founded the PKB.

Zannuba and Gus Dur left the PKB after a messy and prolonged feud.

Muhaimin said the logo and the name of Yenny’s party had “many similarities” with those of the PKB.

“It is not in compliance with the 2011 Political Party Law,” the letter stated.

Yenny said the letter was a move by Muhaimin to prevent the PKBN from becoming a political party.

“The claims of similarities do not make any sense. They are just not ready to face a true democracy,” Yenny said in a statement.

Contacted separately, PKB executive Muhammad Lukman Edy said that the ministry should uphold the law without exception when verifying new political parties.

The ministry is expected to finish vetting the applications of new political partiesby the end of this year. (dar)