Moslem scholar launches new political party
JAKARTA (JP): Moslem scholar Deliar Noer, known for his staunch criticism of the government, launched Partai Ummat Islam (Islamic Community Party) yesterday, adding to the country's already long list of new political parties.
"We want to develop Islamic teachings while upholding the Republic of Indonesia," Deliar told reporters at the Al-Azhar Grand Mosque in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
Among the eight people who signed the party's founding declaration were former dean of the University of Indonesia's school of social and political sciences M. Budyatna and Judilherry Justam, a member of the Association of Islamic Students Alumni.
The party's establishment is aimed at building a democratic and prosperous society free from all forms of tyranny, the declaration said.
The party plans to contest the general election which President B.J. Habibie plans to hold in the middle of next year.
Deliar said the party's platform would be developed at a congress to be held in one or two months to discuss election campaign strategy and elect a chairman.
Asked about how much public support he had mustered, Deliar said he had been corresponding with friends in Banda Aceh, Semarang and Surabaya who he expected would join.
Party volunteers distributed application forms to about 100 guests invited to attend the launching. Former Jakarta governor and opposition figure Ali Sadikin was among the guests present, though he did not sign up to join the party.
The Islamic Community Party is not the first Moslem-based party to be established in recent weeks since the government relaxed its regulation banning the creation of new political parties.
Prospects for the establishment of several more religious and ethnic-based parties have renewed fears of a possible return to sectarian politics, which many believe could undermine national unity.
Deliar said that while his party was not exclusively for Moslems, non-Moslems wishing to become members would be questioned about their reasons for joining.
"We will question their motives first ... (and) how far they will fight for the cause of the party," Deliar said.
Deliar said the party would be willing to cooperate with other political parties.
He called on the government to allow people to establish religious-based political parties. Banning them would be against the spirit of democracy, he said.
While the Constitution guarantees freedom of association, current political laws, which are being reviewed, limit the number of the country's political parties to three and require that all adhere to Pancasila as their only ideology.
Commenting on the establishment of the party, Dawam Rahardjo of the Center for Information and Development Studies (CIDES) said he disapproved of the establishment of an exclusively Moslem party.
"Political parties should be inclusive if they want to gain public support," he told The Jakarta Post.
Dawam said the leadership of any political party would also determine whether or not it would gain public support.
"The leader of a political party should be recognized and trusted by the people," Dawam said, pointing out that Deliar was not widely known outside academic circles. (byg)