Can religion and politics meld in party platform?

JAKARTA (JP): Soeharto's resignation from the presidency last month threw the door wide open for greater political expression, and also put back on the front burner a long-simmering debate over whether there should be religion-affiliated political parties.

Last week, President B.J. Habibie said the government would allow establishment of just about any political parties, as long as their political platform was not tainted by SARA -- an Indonesian acronym for polarizing societal forces of differences in tribal affiliations, religion, race and societal groups.

Some applauded Habibie's apparently magnanimous statement, but others were condemnatory. They said the President -- for many, indelibly tarred with the brush of the restrictive Soeharto regime -- was merely paving the way for him to use his own discretion in approving any new parties.

Moslem scholars Amien Rais and Nurcholish Madjid, Catholic scholars Frans Seda and Y.B. Mangunwijaya and political scientist Ichlasul Amal are among those who have come out against religion- affiliated political parties due to the fear it could play up religious differences and ultimately tear national unity asunder.

Others strongly beg to differ.

Constitutional law expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra, politician Hartono Mardjono and ulema Ahmad Sumargono, Abdul Qadir Djaelani and Kholil Ridwan said Moslems -- the majority in Indonesia's 202 million population -- should be allowed to establish an Islamic party.

"Islam, yes. Islamic party, yes. Don't repeat the mistakes of the old regime," said Sumargono when he addressed a gathering of around 2,000 at the Al Azhar Grand Mosque here yesterday.

"We welcome those who want to establish Catholic parties, Christian parties, Secular parties, or whatever, but don't prevent Moslems from forming an Islamic party because of fear that it would endanger the nation," Sumargono said. "(The fear) is sign of an Islamophobia."

He added: "This line of thought is the remnant of Soeharto's regime formulated by (thinkers at) the CSIS (Centre for Strategic and International Studies).

"As long as we uphold the principles of fair play, equality and honesty, God willing, this nation will not disintegrate."

Sumargono did not comment on the establishment Friday of the Syarikat Islam Party by members of the Syarikat Islam organization. In 1973, it had joined with several other Islamic parties to establish the United Development Party (PPP).

Yusril, who also spoke at the gathering, supported the concept of an Islamic party but urged Moslems not to act hastily.

"Let us think calmly, let us prepare ourselves first.

"Just because people race to build political parties does not mean that we should go out there and do the same," he said.

"Don't be afraid of being left behind or losing the momentum, because we have the real (political) support, namely the Moslem majority, because people know what's right from wrong."

He said a party that accommodated the aspirations of Moslems was a necessity, but Moslem leaders needed to first cooperate and form a committee to study and prepare further steps to be taken.

He called for cooperation between young Moslem leaders with their seniors such as Jusuf Hasyim from Nahdlatul Ulama or Anwar Harjono from the Indonesian Council for Islamic Propagation.

"Let us reach a consensus that Moslems would only have one party, rather than divided into small parties which cannot even win a seat in the general elections."

He spoke out against any efforts to limit the number of political parties, and said no matter how many were now established, a process of natural selection would weed out those which were worthy from the also-rans.

"Let the people be the judge whether those parties merit their support. Those which do not win people's trust will dissolve."

Flag

In Yogyakarta, Nurcholish Madjid and Mangunwijaya separately appealed against the forming of religious parties for fear they would cause unmanageable conflicts.

"I call on the government to issue as soon as possible a clear directive on the establishment of political parties," Nurcholish told reporters after speaking in a discussion at Gadjah Mada University.

"I am happy that Pak Amien Rais has disclaimed any intention of establishing an Islamic political party," he said. "I hope Gus Dur (Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the 30 million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem organization) will say the same thing soon.

"I hope that even with such a huge following, Gus Dur would not establish a political party," he added.

"If people insist on establishing a party with a religion as its flag, I am afraid what ensues is disintegration," Mangunwijaya said in a separate discussion at Muhammadiyah headquarters.

It was a view echoed by Frans Seda in a discussion in Jakarta Saturday: "Religions may motivate our actions, may become the inspiration for us to select values, but they should not be the 'political flags'."

He called on fellow Catholics to eschew forming a religion- based political party.

"If we felt we had to establish one, then it should not be based on religion," he was quoted by Antara as saying. "That political party should be 'open' in nature and be based on nationalism and (state ideology) Pancasila."

He endorsed a suggestion of fellow Catholic scholar Astrid S. Soesanto for the establishment of a party based on human rights.

"That particular party would be good, would be open and able to accommodate the aspirations of anyone regardless their background.

"We should establish a political party not because we want to take over the control of the country, but to dedicate ourselves for the nation."

Rights

Yusril reminded the public that it was the people's rights to assemble and establish their own political parties. But Abdurrahman instructed NU followers to wait for an edict on the matter from their leaders.

"Nahdlatul Ulama should maintain its khittah, and not turn into a political party," he said in a written address to a gathering of NU members in Surabaya, East Java, yesterday.

Khittah is the official stance of Nahdlatul Ulama, which is a social-religious organization and thus barred from involvement in politics. In reality, however, individual members of Nahdlatul Ulama, including Abdurrahman, have been prominent movers and shakers in the political sphere.

"If NU members want to be involved in politics, please wait for a guidance from the executive board, which will be issued at the right time," Abdurrahman was quoted by Antara as saying.

Democracy

Prominent economist Faisal Basri noted in a gathering of students at the Bogor Agriculture Institute in Bogor, West Java, that the interest of particular groups only should not be behind the establishment of new parties.

In a televised interview, he said people who set up parties should not do to sate a lust for power. "The ultimate goal of politics should be social welfare."

Political analysts J.B. Kristiadi of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Indria Samego of the National Institute of Sciences told The Jakarta Post separately that people were racing to establish political parties to quench their thirst for real democracy after the floodgates of free speech had opened.

Both agreed the phenomenon was a reasonable release for a people kept under tight control from political activities for the past 32 years under Soeharto.

"The plug which had been clogging the 'bottle of democracy' for years is now unplugged," Kristiadi said.

Kristiadi said the proliferation of new political parties was also due to failure of the existing three political parties to give voice to the needs of the people.

Since the early 1970s, the government has only recognized the existence of Golkar, the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP) and the Christian-nationalist alliance Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Kristiadi argued they were pawns in the game of maintaining the political status quo.

"These organizations are only designed by the government to strengthen its power." (23/44/swe/byg)