Jakarta. Four parties have thrown their support behind a planned House of Representatives inquiry against Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly for what is see as biased recognition of the leadership of two parties.

Yasonna earlier stated his intention to recognize pro-government Agung Laksono as the legitimate chairman of the Golkar Party, which has been divided into two camps, those supporting Agung and those loyal to the incumbent chairman Aburizal Bakrie.

The move echoed his earlier decision to recognize Muhammad Romahurmuziy, another government supporter, as chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) despite a similar claim by Djan Faridz.

The State Administrative Court however overturned the minister’s decision on the PPP, based on a challenge lodged by Djan’s camp.

Meanwhile opposition parties the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) on Friday stated their intention to support an inquiry into the debacle, but party support is not unanimous.

So far only Golkar’s Bambang Soesatyo and Ade Komarudin have openly stated their support for the inquiry.

“What the justice minister did in the case of Golkar and the PPP is illegal and politically motivated,” Bambang said on Friday.

PPP lawmaker Dimyati Natakusumah was also alone in speaking for the inquiry plan.

“We no longer trust Yasonna as justice minister. He has abused his power. We hope [President Joko Widodo] will reprimand him soon,” he said.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party, also of the opposition bloc, have not made their stance on the matter public and were noticeably absent during a meeting between representatives of Golkar, PPP, PKS and Gerindra.

Golkar politicians Bambang Wiyogo and Ahmadi Noor Supit also attended the meeting but left early.

“I’d say don’t do it,” Ahmadi told reporters.

Meanwhile Wiyogo expressed his disappointment that representatives from PAN and the Democrats were absent.

“Golkar has never been an opposition. It proved to be hard because we have no experience in [being opposition],” he said.

Trimedya Panjaitan, a lawmaker of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the same party as Yasonna, said the party would try to negotiate with the four opposition parties before the House starts a new session on March 23.

Yasonna has denied that there was any political motives behind his endorsement of Agung’s claim of the Golkar Party’s top post, saying what he did was according to existing rules and regulations.

The minister has also pointed to the upcoming regional elections as one of the reasons his office was quick to recognize Romahurmuziy’s and Agung’s claims to be recognized as chairmen of the PPP and Golkar respectively.

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Source: The Jakarta Globe