House speaker supports formation of new groups
House speaker supports formation of new groups
JAKARTA (JP): Speaker of the House of Representatives Wahono yesterday said he fully supported the recent establishment of new "brotherhood" organizations, that they help reverse the trend towards potentially divisive sectarian politics.
Wahono noted that these new organizations have one stated common objective which is to develop the nation without undermining the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.
"We are fortunate to have these new organizations. We are optimistic that the country's best children who formed these brotherhood organizations would reverse the trend that has been undermining our political unity," he said during a plenary session to kick off a new working session of the House.
"We hope these organizations can prevent the re-emergence of sectarian politics, which can threaten national unity," he added.
Wahono did not precisely name the organizations.
At least three new organizations have been established in recent months with the proclaimed objectives of preserving and strengthening the unity of the nation.
They are the National Brotherhood Foundation, the Association of Intellectuals for Pancasila Development and the Indonesian National Unity (PNI).
The three organizations have expressed concern over national development, based on values included in the state ideology Pancasila.
The National Brotherhood Foundation was established on Oct. 23 by 67 influential public figures who claimed unanimous commitment to save the nation from polarizing social developments.
The foundation has a wide variety of membership, with members being former senior military officers, leaders of the ruling Golkar organization, the United Development Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party and scholars from various fields.
They include Lt. Gen. (ret.) Bambang Triantoro, formerly deputy to the Army's chief of staff and the Armed Forces' chief of social and political affairs, Matori Abdul Djalil, former secretary-general of the United Development Party, former House speaker Kharis Suhud, Moslem leader Dahlan Ranuwihardjo, intellectual Harsya Bachtiar and former Catholic party leader Frans Seda.
Support
The Association of Intellectuals for Pancasila Development was founded earlier in July by staff lecturers of Jenderal Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Central Java. It has since received wide support from intellectuals looking for such a forum not based on religion.
Many political analysts see the Association of Intellectuals for Pancasila Development as a counter to the growing strength and influence of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals, which is chaired by State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie. A number of cabinet ministers are also members of the association .
The third organization, the Indonesian National Unity, was established Oct. 26.
The acronym of the new organization is identical to that of the Partai National Indonesia (Indonesian Nationalist Party), which at one time provided political support for Sukarno, Indonesia's first president. The old PNI merged into the Indonesian Democratic Party in 1973.
PNI's chairman Supeni has insisted that the organization is fully committed to strengthening nationalism.
"We want to establish unity and cooperate with various groups, as long as they are based on the state ideology Pancasila," Supeni said during PNI's establishment.
Wahono in his speech also expressed concern over the country's biggest political organization, which he said should always refer to its commitment for the betterment and welfare of the people through development.
"Golkar should always side with the weak in its commitment for development," he said. (imn)