Muslim parties should unite: Amien

JAKARTA (JP): A coalition of Muslim parties is especially needed to break free of remnants of the former regime, particularly because President B.J. Habibie still has a major chance of becoming president for another term, the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) has said.

Amien Rais was speaking Wednesday after addressing a dialog among Muslim parties.

To be able to really "say goodbye to the New Order regime," he said there was no other way than for Muslim parties to coalesce in order to make a clean break from the status quo represented by another presidential term for Habibie. No one party could go it alone, he said.

"Mr. Incumbent still has a much greater chance than candidates of other parties," Amien told a packed audience at the hall of the Sunda Kelapa mosque in Central Jakarta.

PAN was also invited to the talks on Muslim political brotherhood although it has not declared itself a Muslim party.

Commenting on a possible coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Amien said this was not enough, adding that a coalition should include other parties such as the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB).

To criticisms of political observers and politicians, officials of the Golkar ruling party have said Habibie is their ideal candidate for president, besides other members of the Cabinet such as Akbar Tandjung, Wiranto, Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Muladi.

Amien cited a survey by the independent Econit research group, which has revealed that Habibie could count on enough members in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to re-elect him as president in the next General Session.

A party needs to secure a 51 percent majority vote in the Assembly in order to have its presidential nominee elected. The 700-seat Assembly includes the 500-seat House of Representatives, in which 38 unelected seats have been allocated to the Armed Forces.

Citing survey estimates that Golkar could win 15 percent of the vote in the June polls, Amien said Habibie could easily rely on at least 238 Assembly members including the Armed Forces. Regional representatives to be elected by provincial councils would likely be won over by "money politics and lobbying."

Golkar would have to win over more members, but much fewer compared to other parties.

"That's why Habibie always looks calm and smiling," he said.

He added that other parties believed by analysts to have a big chance in the polls such as his own party, with only a maximum of 20 percent of the vote, would only get 90 seats, and would still need to lobby hard for at least another 350 votes to nominate their own candidate.

"But I hope these estimates turn out wrong," Amien told the audience, "After all, who would have thought that Soeharto would fall so far from power (after being reelected for a seventh term by the MPR)." Besides, the incumbent president in any country, he said, has great potential for being returned.

A presidential spokeswoman, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, had earlier said that it was a narrow view that only judged Habibie on his legacy as a Soeharto protege.

Chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), Yusril Ihza Mahendra, had said that in a presidential system a coalition was not recognized.

Commenting on the theme of Muslim political brotherhood, he said, it would mean the reaching of agreements and cooperation between parties orientated to Islam. He said for PBB this meant the upholding of democracy and a commitment towards pluralism, including pluralism of religion.

Organizers of the one-day talks were the Islamic Youth Movement (GPI), the Association of Islamic Students (HMI) and the Unity of Muslim Youth (PPI). Yusril and Amien were among speakers in the afternoon session which also included Nur Mahmudi Ismail, chairman of the Justice Party.

The moderator, Hajriyanto Y. Thohari, a former chairman of the Muslim Muhammadiyah Youth Movement, said party representatives had all agreed to a strong Muslim political brotherhood, but most failed to suggest concrete actions to realize it. He pointed out that in the first general election in 1955, all the Muslim parties put together gained only 43 percent of the vote.

Several participants agreed that while one Muslim party was ideal to prevent confusion, the adage of "the more the merrier" was a good option so that many are trying to influence decision- making.

"Let there be an alliance and efforts to cooperate, but do not let us be torn apart," Yusril said, adding having one party would be undemocratic. Despite differences in detail, Yusril said he was sure that similarities among Muslim parties included the advocacy of pluralism between religions, the improvement of women's status and concern for the poor. (anr/01)