Yenny elected as PKB leader

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 12/27/2010 1:03 PM | National

Yenny Wahid has been elected as the leader of the National Awakening Party (PKB) for the 2010-2015 term.

Yenny was appointed by acclamation during the party’s third national congress. The congress also appointed Kiai Ahmad Syahid as the party’s chief patron.

Congress chief executive Imron Rosyadi Hamid said Yenny was elected after 29 of 33 regional boards across Indonesia chose her to lead the party formed by her late father, Abdurahman “Gus Dur” Wahid.

Receiving less votes, former South Kalimantan deputy governor Rosehan was nominated for the position by the South Kalimantan board, while two other boards abstained.

Meanwhile, besides Kiai Ahmad Syahid, other candidates including Tuan Guru Turmudzi, Kiai Dadang and Gus Yusuf Kudlori also emerged in the election.

However, the majority voted for Kiai Ahmad Syahid, Imron said.

Yenny Wahid calls for reconciliation to develop PKB

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 12/21/2010 7:42 PM | National

Yenny Zannuba Wahid, daughter of the late former president Abdurrahman Wahid, is seeking reconciliation with Muhaimin Iskandar, the current chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), saying it would be for the betterment of the party and its followers.

Yenny acknowledged that the reconciliation was actually the idea of her father, widely known as Gus Dur, one of the founders of the party.

“Let us honor the last will of Gus Dur, who had great plans when he established the party,” she said.

Yenny said the moment had come for conflicting factions in the party to come together and settle their differences.

“I will ask Muhaimin to participate at the upcoming national conference in Surabaya. In fact, if he is planning to name a candidate for the chairmanship once again at the conference, it’s all right with me,” she said as quoted by kompas.com on Tuesday.