CIDES laments revival of sectarian politics

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)