REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) said investigation has to be made of the citizenship of new Energy and Mineral Resource Minister Arcandra Tahar, who is accused of holding the US citizenship.

PDIP secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto said investigation is needed to make sure that Arcandra Tahar never had foreign citizenship.

"If that was true, the state should not bow in guaranteeing the implementation of the instruction of the Constitution and the Law that rule mono loyalty to the state," Hasto said here on Sunday.

He said the allegation about Arcandra's double citizenship is a fundamental matter adding single loyalty is important and that Indonesian law does not allow double citizenship. There should be clarification of the allegation, as the law no. 12 of 2006 says that Indonesians will automatically lose their citizenship once they hold or accept foreign citizenship, he said.

"Therefore, it is a serious problem if Arcandra Tahar does hold the US citizenship and that means he may not hold the position as a state official," he said.

He said PDIP suspects that someone has deliberately put President Joko Widodo in a difficult position by not properly check the backgrounds of candidates when the cabinet reshuffle was discusses. "PDIP is confident the president would be consistent in carrying out the instruction of the Constitution and implement the laws on citizenship and state ministers," he said.

Arcandra Tahar, who was named minister of energy and mineral resources on July 27, 2016 was widely reported on Saturday that he had US citizenship through process of naturalization since March, 2012, and that he had sworn loyalty to the United States

Arcandra, who lived in the United States for 20 years, before he was named minister, has not clarified the allegation and refused to answer question about that. Minister at the State Secretariat Pratikno said Arcandra held Indonesian passport valid until 2017 and he returned to the country using an Indonesian passport.

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