Everyone is tainted by New Order: Ahadien

Everyone is tainted by New Order: Ahadien

By Sirikit Syah

SURABAYA (JP): Ahadien Mintaroem is a senior United
Development Party (PPP) politician who started out his political
career in 1970 as a Muhammadiyah representative in Sekber Golkar
-- the group that later formed Golkar.

After the general election in 1971, he was appointed the
secretary of Partai Muslimin Indonesia (Parmusi) which in 1973
fused with three other parties to form the United Development
Party. In 1985, he became chairman of the East Java chapter of
PPP and has retained the position until now.

The following is his conversation recently with The Jakarta
Post about how conflicts were threatening national unity.

Question: The PPP supporters have been engaged in various
conflicts with members of the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Answer: We need to appreciate and respect other parties and
their independence. It would not do to say ugly things about
certain parties because actually all of us are related in some
way or another with the New Order regime.

Look at Gus Dur (Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of Nahdlatul
Ulama and founder of National Awakening Party, PKB)). He was a
member of the People's Consultative Assembly (representing
Golkar) in the New Order era. Megawati (Soekarnoputri, popular
chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, PDI
Perjuangan)) was a member of the House of Representatives in
(Soeharto's) administration.

They both voted during presidential elections. They voted
Soeharto into office.

Look at Amien Rais. He held a congress of Muhammadiyah (in
Banda Aceh in 1995) which was attended by Soeharto. He never
corrected Soeharto when the latter said in his speech he was a
cadre of Muhammadiyah.

Q: What about PPP? It was founded by the New Order.

A: If people consider us to be a product of the New Order, so be
it. We wouldn't deny it. But we try not to offend others over
this issue. As I said before, everybody is related to the New
Order.

(If people attack us) we'll try not to be upset or angry. We
have to understand the criticism and attacks are usually done by
new parties, most of whose supporters do not understand history.

Q: How are you going to stop conflicts between PPP supporters
with those of PKB?

A: We tell people not to be easily provoked. We don't make claims
like the way Golkar claimed in the past that all government
officials were its staunch supporters. Now, PKB claims that all
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) members are its supporters. We avoid doing
that, and I hope this helps reduce the possibility of conflicts.

Q: Do you think it helps your party become more acceptable?

A: Maybe, but we get support from both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Our party works for people in general. Even though we don't hold
demonstrations involving barongsay (Chinese dragons), we too,
support Chinese Indonesians.

Q: What is your strategy in winning people's sympathy?

A: Not by criticizing or attacking other people, of course. But
by revealing history. History speaks for itself.

In 1978-1979, we were the only faction (at the legislative
bodies) fighting against the government's control of campus life.
In 1998, for the first time in the New Order regime, we became
the first faction to exercise the House's right of initiative.

We initiated the bill on general election... we insisted on
reducing the number of the military seats at the House.

Q: Once, when PPP was led by D.J. Naro, you were under government
control...

A: We should remember that Naro was the first and only person
ever to challenge (Soeharto's handpicked man Sudharmono) as the
vice presidential candidate. No else had done it before or after.

Q: How are you preparing for the multiparty competition?

A: This is the result of reform and democratization. It's a good
thing. It is much easier to compete with many parties if the
elections are fair and everyone is treated the same. It was
difficult in the past when we had to be up against the ruling
party which had failed to play fair and had all the privileges.

Q: What do you think of President B.J. Habibie?

A: I personally like him but PPP would not support him (for the
next presidency). PPP would choose its own candidate.

Q: Where do you think you will win in East Java?

A: Madura, the horseshoe area of Jember, Situbondo, Banyuwangi
and others. Malang, Surabaya. I think the eastern part of East
Java still supports us.