Agung outlines support for Jan congress

JAKARTA. Agung Laksono, the leader of the Golkar Party's splinter faction who has been supposedly dismissed by incumbent chairman Aburizal Bakrie, has spoken of the support he has within the party, as he continues with his plan to hold his version of the party’s National Congress in Jakarta in January next year.

On Wednesday, Aburizal enjoyed large support from the participants in the ongoing congress in Nusa Dua, Bali, and was declared Golkar chairman for another five years.

But Agung's camp maintained its rejection, claiming that the tycoon had been elected in an undemocratic process and unconstitutional congress.

"We reiterated our position that we will never recognize the Bali congress and all the decisions it made," he said at Golkar headquarters in West Jakarta on Wednesday.

The statement was made after his meeting with leaders of Golkar's founding organizations, namely Kosgoro, MKGR and Soksi.

In his capacity as Kosgoro chairman, Agung also declared that the three organizations rejected the Bali congress and supported the one to be organized in January.

"The Bali congress is unconstitutional and undemocratic, as well as violating the party's statute," Agung said.

The leaders of the other two organizations, Priyo Budi Santoso of MKGR and Laurens Siburian of Soksi, also attended the conference.

Agung's camp claims the Jakarta congress will be legal based on the last congress in 2009 that mandated the subsequent congress to be held in 2015.

"Kosgoro, MKGR and Soksi have given total support for the January congress because it has a legal umbrella and will include a democratic chairmanship election," said Agung, who is vying for the party’s chairmanship.

Previously, several senior Golkar members from the New Order era had also declared support for Agung's congress.

Golkar, the country’s second largest and oldest political party, is on the brink of a major split should the January congress materialize.

Agung has also put high hopes on the government after his camp lodged a formal request with the Law and Human Rights Ministry to reject the Bali congress, citing practices such as intimidation and an abuse of power that they said was aimed at smoothing Aburizal's path to securing a second term. (Bagus BT Saragih)