Christian parties never play second fiddle<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country,
\nwas born with the spirit of democracy in terms of space given to
\nminor religious groups to voice their existence.<\/p>\n
In its 54-year history, the country has seen only two
\nreligious-based, non-Muslim parties contest elections: the
\nIndonesian Christian Party (Parkindo) and the Catholic Party.<\/p>\n
The fact that they gained a small group of seats, both in the
\nlegislative body and administration in this predominantly Muslim
\ncountry did not reduce them to playing second fiddle.<\/p>\n
Historians acknowledge Parkindo's founding father Johannes
\nLeimena and his Catholic Party counterpart Ignatius Josef Kasimo
\nas outstanding figures who laid the foundation for democracy in
\nIndonesia. Both held ministerial posts during the turbulent phase
\nof the nation's character building under first president Sukarno.<\/p>\n
Parkindo came into being on Nov. 18, 1945, following a
\ncongress held by the Christian community in Surakarta, Central
\nJava, replacing the National Christian Party (PKN).<\/p>\n
Another Christian party, Parki, was established in Sumatra.
\nBut it merged with Parkindo in 1947 to unite Christian
\nconstituents across the country.<\/p>\n
While Indonesia was fighting the Dutch for independence,
\nParkindo proved its support for the national struggle. A book
\npublished by the Ministry of Information in 1950 stated that
\n\"because the biggest threat to the young Republic of Indonesia
\ncomes from Dutch Christians, it is important for the party
\n(Parkindo) to tell the Dutch that Indonesian Christians ...
\noppose them concerning Indonesia's struggle for independence\".<\/p>\n
In the 1955 elections -- the first ever to be held in the
\ncountry -- Parkindo won eight out of 272 seats in the House of
\nRepresentatives. The party was given 16 seats in the highest law
\nmaking body (Konstituante), which was dissolved by Sukarno in
\n1959.<\/p>\n
Parkindo contested the 1971 elections, the first since the New
\nOrder regime under Soeharto took over from Sukarno, and won seven
\nout of 460 House seats. Following the government's decision to
\nmerge all parties into three bodies in 1973, Parkindo joined the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI).<\/p>\n
Catholic parties<\/p>\n
Like Parkindo and other parties which emerged in the first
\nmonths of the republic, seven Catholic parties were founded in
\nresponse to the government decree on a multiparty system issued
\nin November 1945.<\/p>\n
At a Catholic community congress in Yogyakarta in December
\n1949, seven parties -- the Republic of Indonesia's Catholic Party
\n(PKRI), the Ujungpandang (then Makassar)-based Indonesian
\nPeople's Catholic Party, the Flores-based Indonesian People's
\nCatholic Party, the East Indonesian Catholic Party (Parkit), the
\nUnited Flores Political Party, the Catholic People's Consultative
\nParty (Pemakat) and the Indonesian Kalimantan Catholic Party
\n(Parkita) -- formed the Catholic Party.<\/p>\n
One of its prominent roles in Indonesian history was its full
\nbacking to the government's claim of West Irian, which was
\noccupied by the Dutch. After fierce fighting both on the
\ndiplomatic and battle fronts, Indonesia gained its sovereignty
\nover the western part of Irian in 1969.<\/p>\n
The party was also a staunch supporter of fair representation
\nof major religious groups in the House, government maintenance of
\nsecurity and order and protection of religious practices.<\/p>\n
In the socioeconomic field, the party demanded, among other
\nthings, a law which guaranteed a fair minimum wage and maximum
\nworking hours, a law on social security, a law on the
\ndistribution of staple foods and nationalization of foreign
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
The Catholic Party declared itself a political organization
\nwhich upheld nationalism and recognized the Pancasila state
\nideology and the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
The party won six House seats in the 1955 elections, but only
\nthree in the 1971 elections. It joined Parkindo in the PDI,
\nconfirming the latter's status as a coalition of nationalist and
\nChristian factions.<\/p>",
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