CIDES laments revival of sectarian politics

JAKARTA (JP): Scholars from the Center for Information and Development Studies (CIDES) regretted what they believed was a reemergence of sectarian politics, as evident in the burgeoning of religious-based parties, because very often their mode of power struggle contravened peaceful and intellectual ways.

Antara quoted Jumhur Hidayat, the executive director of CIDES -- which is the think-tank of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) -- as saying Tuesday how sectarian politics brought about "trade of condemnations, accusations, war of posters, shows of force and other campaigns to force one's will (against others)".

Jumhur was speaking at a discussion held for CIDES to expose its analysis of current politics. He was accompanied by his colleagues Dewi Fortuna Anwar and Indria Samego.

The rebirth of sectarian politics, Jumhur said, would not ease the way for reform. "What's saddest is the reemergence of sectarian politics and the strengthening of extreme interest groups," he said.

Dewi shared Jumhur's opinion, pointing out that one of the gravest dangers facing nations was not international conflict, but local ones that tend to escalate and go out of control.

She described how basically Indonesian politics saw only three players who compete with one another. The first was the force of the nationalists, standing opposite the Moslem force, who are in themselves divided into two groups: the modernists and the traditionalists.

She said "I don't know the difference between Amien Rais, Yusril Ihza Mahendra or Deliar, they're all from the same background." She was referring to, respectively, the chairmen of the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Moslem Community Party.

"We thought that during the 32 years of New Order government, primordialism had disappeared and people had found a common platform," she said. "As it turned out, sectarianism had not been buried, it was only deep-frozen."

"When the central power (of Soeharto) was gone, those sectarian (groups) were revived. Now sectarian (politics) has resurfaced and this could endanger (the campaign for) a civil society and our agenda for reform... the (campaign for) national consensus."

"I blame the elder generations who, rather than bring peace and calm, have been inflaming these differences in interests," she said. "I am afraid these sectarian politics will hamper democratization."

Indria said sectarian politics were inseparable from the maneuverings of various political actors competing for power. Those actors exploited issues such as race and ethnicity in their quest for power.

ICMI was established in Malang in 1990, and soon enjoyed the support of many officials under Soeharto's New Order regime. B.J. Habibie was the first chairman of the organization which, at one stage, was considered to be influential in the recruitment of its supporters to Soeharto's cabinets.

Habibie was replaced by Achmad Tirtosudiro -- also deputy chairman of the presidential Supreme Advisory Council -- after he became Soeharto's vice president earlier this year.

Blank check

In another part of her explanation, Dewi -- who is also Habibie's spokeswoman -- restated the importance of tempering the public's euphoria over their success in bringing about reform with a healthy dose of reality. She warned that optimism was needed, but a realistic stance was also important.

She pointed out there was no guarantee that the agenda for reform that the nation has agreed to (the November special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, the 1999 general elections and the presidential poll) would proceed smoothly, and that the road toward those goals were fraught with danger.

"Don't take this democratic transition for granted," she said.

She pointed out how in 1966, public groups such as Moslems and students who fought to topple president Sukarno's Old Order regime had given Soeharto and the Armed Forces a blank check to do what they willed with the country.

She also cited how it took Soeharto's government five years to hold the first general elections in 1971. By that time, she argued, the power elite had become well entrenched.

Fortunately, she said, "now people realize that this transition period should not last for too long. Within the shortest possible and feasible time, we should hold the general elections".

She cautioned, however, against being too hasty and holding the poll amid a shaky political situation. She pointed out that the push for reform was unfortunately being made when the nation was also struggling to build economic reform.

The push for political reform was actually an opposing force to the campaign for economic reform; the first was accompanied by uncertainty while the second required stability.

This was why certain groups, such as business people, tried to halt the campaign for political reform, she said.

She denied the suggestion that Habibie himself was among those who campaigned against reform, pointing out that he was the first president to ever visit the House of Representatives for consultation and to establish the agenda for reform together. (swe)