Members Of The House Of Representatives Concerned About Dualism At PMI: Humanitarian Organizations Should Be Free From Practical Politics

JAKARTA - Commission IX of the House of Representatives is concerned about the emergence of leadership dualism within the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). The health commission assessed that as a humanitarian organization, PMI should be far from attracting political interests.

"Humanity organizations must be free from practical political interests. So the emergence of leadership dualism within PMI is a common concern," said Member of Commission IX of the DPR, Zainul Munasichin, Friday, December 13.

The PKB legislator said that the dualism of leadership within PMI should not have happened. However, the holding of two national deliberations (munas) that raised the names of Jusuf Kalla and Agung Laksono as chairman of PMI, was actually thick with prexical political interests.

"PMI is clearly not a political entity, but the fact is that there has been a conflict of interest from its activists so that there are two national elections, two general chairmen who claim they are both legal," he said.

Zainul emphasized that humanitarian affairs should be above the interests of power and business interests. According to him, all parties should place PMI above political and business interests.

In accordance with what Gus Dur said, if above politics is humanity. All parties must reflect on Gus Dur's words," he said.

It is better, continued Zainul, that the conflicting parties will immediately sit down together and resolve the polemic of the power struggle. Moreover, the parties who are both senior and part of the nation's leaders.

"I'm sure because they are both seniors, there is wisdom and maturity to see this matter," he concluded.

Two senior figures from the Golkar Party, Jusuf Kalla and Agung Laksono both claim to be the general chairman of PMI for the period 2024-2029. Jusuf Kalla stated that he had been elected by acclamation at the XXII PMI National Conference as General Chair.

Meanwhile, Agung Laksono, before the National Conference was held, had declared himself to run at the PMI National Conference and claimed to have pocketed more than 20 percent of the votes in support of PMI members in accordance with the provisions of the organization's AD/ART.

However, during the National Conference, no name of Agung appeared as General Chair and there was only JK as the sole candidate for General Chair.

Kubu Agung then held the National Conference and raised Agung Laksono as chairman. Finally, the JK camp also reported Agung Laksono because he was considered to have carried out an illegal PMI National Conference.