PKB Confirms That Gus Yahya And Minister Of Religion Yaqut Will Not Invite At The Congress

JAKARTA - The National Awakening Party (PKB) has confirmed that it will not invite the General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya), the former Secretary General of PKB Lukman Edy, to the Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas at the 6th Congress on August 24-25.

Deputy Chairperson of the PKB DPP, Hanif Dhakiri, emphasized that Yahya, Lukman, and Yaqut's membership in PKB has now died because they are considered to be disturbing the party's image and some are campaigning for other parties.

Likewise with Effendy Choirie, who has now become a NasDem Party politician.

"Pak Effendy Choirie, yes, definitely not invited because of the management of other parties. Pak Yahya, Pak Lukman and Pak Yaqut, their membership automatically died. It has been a campaign for other parties and even attacked and damaged the honor of parties in the public," said Hanif to reporters, Tuesday, August 20.

Hanif emphasized that the congress participants who will be held in Bali this weekend are only DPP administrators, DPW delegates, DPC delegates, FPKB DPR leaders and members, as well as heads of autonomous bodies and central-level institutions.

Not only campaigning for other parties, the party that was not invited also attacked and defamed PKB in public. Thus, these figures are considered not loyal to the party and even destroy the party.

"PKB has been successful in the last election with the addition of seats in the legislature at various levels. Well, they do not support and even attack us (PKB) in the public sphere. So if they were istiqomah in the PKB, they want to jointly raise PKB, yes of course and of course we invite them," said Hanif.

In addition, invited guests will also attend the invitation of the PKB DPP as the organizer of the congress. In it are the leaders of the state to the leaders of political parties.

The chairman of the PKB Congress Committee, Cucun A. Syamsurijal, said that his party was collaborating with the TNI and Polri to secure the continuity of the congress event.

This guard is in line with the conflict between PKB and the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board which is heating up. In fact, there was a suggestion to PBNU to hold a counter congress.

Cucun ensures that every agenda carried out by PKB always coordinates with the TNI and Polri as a form of legal compliance.

"This PKB lives under the umbrella of the Political Party Law, all steps taken are obedient to the law. When talking with security, you must coordinate with the TNI and Polri," said Cucun.

The number of personnel who will be deployed by the TNI/Polri to secure the PKB Congress on August 24-25, 2024 will adjust to their needs. In addition, PKB also cooperates with Pecalang or Balinese customary police to help secure the PKB Congress.

"Not only from the TNI and Polri, yes. We are also collaborating with pecalang to help secure it. Of course this is because our congress is held in Bali, they have a tradition that we must respect together. Now the Pecalangs will be the forts," he explained.