PKB amends platform to attract voters<\/p>\n
Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Unreconciled relations with the breakaway Matori Abdul Djalil
\nfaction took center stage during the just-concluded congress held
\nby the faction of the National Awakening Party (PKB) loyal to
\nAbdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, overshadowing the more crucial
\nchanges the party made to reclaim the presidency after the 2004
\nelections.<\/p>\n
In a bid to build a strong organization and attract voters in
\nthe next general election, PKB amended its statutes and political
\nplatform during its congress which ended on Sunday in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
One of the most substantial changes constitutes a clear-cut
\ndivision of power between the party's consultative board, known
\nas the Majelis Tanfidziah, which former president Gus Dur chairs,
\nand the executive board under party chairman Alwi Shihab.<\/p>\n
Unlike in the past, the consultative board no longer plays the
\nmost decisive role in policy making.<\/p>\n
PKB executive Muhammad AS Hikam said the change was expected
\nto empower the executive board so as to run the party in an
\neffective manner.<\/p>\n
\"The consultative board deals with macro policies while the
\nexecutive board is responsible for day-to-day policy making. The
\namendment also underlines that party policies are taken
\ncollectively,\" former state minister of research Hikam told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The congress also agreed to emphasize that morals and ethics
\nshould be taken into account in the party's political struggle.<\/p>\n
\"We remain a religious-nationalist party and are inclusive to
\npeople of different religious and ethnic backgrounds,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Newly elected chairman Alwi Shihab said that the eradication
\nof corruption would be one of the party's top priority programs
\nas a consequence of the party's commitment to upholding morals
\nand ethics.<\/p>\n
\"We won't misuse democracy for the sake of our political goals
\nor at the expense of the national interest,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The party, whose support comes mostly from Nahdlatul Ulama,
\nthe country's largest Muslim organization, finished fourth in the
\nlast election in 1999 but won the presidency.<\/p>\n
To attract more voters, the party introduced an \"operational
\nplatform\", which reflects its stance on democratization, economic
\ndevelopment, regional autonomy, and the national education
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
In a bid to uphold democracy, the party staunchly supports
\ndirect presidential elections, in which a presidential candidate
\nand his or her running mate contest the election in tandem.<\/p>\n
In the economic field, PKB suggests a more popular economic
\nsystem that is workable rather than resting on rhetoric.<\/p>\n
On regional autonomy, the party calls for a revision to Law
\nNo. 22\/1999 on regional autonomy, with the aim of preventing
\nconflict between regional governments and the central government.<\/p>\n
\"We offer the operational platform to our potential voters to
\neducate them to use their common sense in choosing their
\npolitical affiliation in the general election, although we
\nrealize irrationality can sometimes determine people's
\npreferences in politics,\" Hikam said.<\/p>\n
Hikam, one of those who drafted the operational platform,
\nclaimed that his PKB was the only political party to offer
\nrealistic ideas on a variety of matters to attract voters.<\/p>",
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