Does the PKS stand for justice and prosperity?

Does the PKS stand for justice and prosperity?

Imam Cahyono, Jakarta

The image of the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)
as a clean party committed to good governance with empathy for
ordinary people was clear in the results of last year's
legislative election, when it doubled its previous tally to gain
about 7 percent of the vote.

The PKS is the only party that has the ability to mobilize the
people to the streets and conduct peaceful demonstrations to
voice its demands on domestic and international issues.

After losing their trust in other major political parties,
many people hope the party will able to deliver on its campaign
promises.

After more than one year, it is time to look back at the
party's achievements, both at national and regional levels, and
in the government. The party has declared itself a supporter of
the government and has some Cabinet seats.

Some fear the party is disappointing its constituents. The
party's stance on the fuel price increases seemed to have ended
in an anticlimax. When the government announced its plan to
sharply increase fuel prices last month, the stance of House of
Representatives (DPR) members from the PKS faction was critical
at first. But they suddenly backed down as the battle reached its
climax.

Members of the House's budgetary committee from the PKS
faction initially boasted they would reject the plan to rescind
domestic fuel subsidies. But their defiance lasted only a matter
of days, because in the end they agreed to the price rises.

When asked about his new position, legislator and former
student activist Rama Pratama reportedly said, "This is politics,
boss."

In times of difficulty, the demands of House members and the
Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) for increased salaries and
other allowances showed their insensitivity.

Raising their own salaries amid widespread financial hardship
is unreasonable, unethical and an injustice. Ironically, the PKS,
which proudly campaigned for a "modest lifestyle," supports the
policy.

The PKS is the largest faction in the Jakarta Legislative
Council, controlling 18 of the total 75 seats, and many Jakartans
hope this faction will effectively voice the grievances of
ordinary people and pressure the local authorities to take
concrete action in combating corruption and abuses of power.

Of course, the PKS' support of the government's decision to
raise fuel prices has led to internal criticism. Many PKS
members, leaders and sympathizers cannot understand why their
party, which comes across as a defender of community interests,
went ahead and agreed with the policy. They feel that the PKS is
no longer siding with the people and has betrayed their trust.
Raising the fuel prices by over 180 percent by average could be
classified as oppressive. They feel they have become the victims
of the party's decision to cooperate with the administration.

PKS leader Tiffatul Sembiring is aware of the restlessness in
his party and has tried to accommodate grass-roots aspirations.
Sadly, there is nothing new in his explanation, which emphasized
that at the budgetary committee level, his faction had
consistently rejected a increase in fuel prices.

In any case, the voices of dissatisfaction continued to ripple
through the party. Thus began a heated episode within the PKS
body politic. There are speculations of internal conflicts
within the party.

On one side, the party is now being pressured to withdraw its
support of the administration, led by PKS secretary-general Anis
Matta. On the other side, Tifatul Sembiring and Hidayat Nur
Wahid, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker and
former PKS leader, stated that withdrawal from the administration
was a personal matter, but did not represent the party's official
stance.

The PKS seems trapped in pragmatic politics, as a party which
is power-oriented and runs according to political interests.
During the administration of Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid from
October 1999 and July 2001, and Megawati Soekarnoputri from July
2001 to October 2004, the PKS and the PKS-affiliated Muslim
Student Action Union (KAMMI) acted as an outspoken opposition and
initiated various street demonstrations. Today they are absent
from the street.

They only turn to the streets to protect their interests, for
example at the Depok regental election this year. The day after
the West Java High Court annulled the victory of the pair of
Nurmahmudi Ismail-Yuyun Wirasaputra, who was nominated by the
PKS, thousands of PKS supporters took to the street to oppose the
decision.

For many, the PKS is an ambitious party. Collecting more than
7 percent of the vote in the 2004 general election, it has set a
target of 20 percent for the 2009 elections, which would pave the
way for the party to field its own presidential candidate.

So, the PKS now faces the challenge of maintaining the party's
reputation as a moral force for change, while engaging in
practical politics. There are important consequences if the PKS
does not alter its current political stance. The party may lose
the support of the eight million people who voted for it if it
does not fulfill voter expectations. The PKS will lose its
opportunity to become an alternative party of moral reform --
something it has been working for all this time.

James Fox, an Australian political scientist, praised the PKS
as being a party of the future. The PKS is the last hope for
Indonesian politics in general. It is the only alternative for
the young generation, with leaders who are educated, hard-working
and clean.

Without moral reform, justice and prosperity, the PKS is no
different from the other parties. It is just a matter of power
politics. No more and no less.

The writer is deputy chairman of al Maun Institute. He can be
reached at icahyo17@yahoo.com.