Jakarta. The power struggle within the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) escalated on Monday as both the newly-appointed chairman and the incumbent, who refuses to recognize the sudden leadership change, sought intervention from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

An "extraordinary congress" held at a Jakarta hotel on Saturday resulted in the appointment of Anindya Bakrie as the new chairman. However, current chairman Arsjad Rasjid denounced the congress as illegitimate, claiming support from 21 provincial chapters in opposing the unexpected leadership transition.

Arsjad was elected as Kadin chairman in 2021 for a five-year term.

In a letter to the president, Arsjad called for the government's attention to what he described as the "ongoing turmoil" within Kadin.

Citing the 1987 law, Arsjad cited the government’s supervisory role over Kadin, stressing that it must intervene to ensure the chamber "serves the national interest and adheres to its governing charter."

A presidential staff member confirmed that Arsjad’s letter was received by the State Secretariat on Sunday, although it has yet to reach the president.

Meanwhile, Anindya Bakrie also plans to send a letter to Jokowi outlining his perspective on the current situation and intends to meet with President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who will be sworn into office next month.

Arsjad reported that he was prevented from entering Kadin’s headquarters in Jakarta, where he had intended to hold a press conference on Sunday.

“We have the adaptability of businessmen, so by Tuesday we will have found a new office,” Arsjad said.

He rejected claims that the sudden leadership change was politically driven, affirming that his leadership recognizes Prabowo’s electoral victory and fully supports the peaceful transition of power from President Jokowi.

“This conflict stems from personal ambitions of a few individuals. We support the smooth transfer of leadership from President Jokowi to Prabowo Subianto,” Arsjad said.

Notably, Arsjad previously served as the head of Ganjar Pranowo’s presidential campaign team in the February election.

During Saturday's controversial congress, Nurdin Halid, who chaired the session, said provincial chapters sought new leadership, alleging that Arsjad had violated Kadin’s principles of impartiality.

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