Muslim parties told to be inclusive to win votes

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Muslim-based political parties in this predominantly Muslim country have never won the general election, as they fail to promote issues inclusive of the general population, observers asserted on Saturday.

They criticized the parties for being "narrow-minded" in their insistence on the implementation of sharia. This might win the hearts (and votes) of traditional supporters, but had not been attracting non-traditional Muslims, or non-Muslims, who hold a larger number of votes.

"Learning from experience, the parties must now realize that Indonesia, even the Muslim community itself, is pluralistic in nature," secretary general of the Alumni Family of the Muslim Student Association (KAHMI) Erlangga told a discussion here.

The discussion on, "the Prospect of Muslim-based Political Parties Ahead of the 2004 General Elections," was held at the private Tarumanagara University in West Jakarta.

Muslim-based political parties are represented by, among others, the United Development Party (PPP), the Crescent and Star Party (PBB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Masyumi Party and the Community Awakening Party (PKU). They won 86 out of 500 House of Representatives seats between them in the 1999 elections.

Muslims make up around 90 percent of Indonesia's population.

"There must be something wrong with the Muslim-based political parties," said another speaker in the discussion Adhyaksa Dault, a former chairman of the National Youth Committee (KNPI) who has now joined PPP.

Adhyaksa said the fight for sharia had already been proven counterproductive.

Instead of winning support, party-strategies have raised the perception that Islam is exclusive and unfriendly and forced both non-Muslims and peripheral Muslims to distance themselves from Muslim-based parties, Erlangga said.

"In order to win the 2004 election, it is timely for these parties to address inclusive and real issues, such as corruption, poverty and unemployment so that they can target a larger group of voters," said Erlangga.

Although spearheaded by Muslim figures, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) are known to have a more open ideology. Perhaps, thanks to this "openness", they won 14 percent of the House seats in their debut in the 1999 polls.

Secular parties have always emerged as election winners since 1955, when Indonesia held its first general election.

PBB deputy chairman Hamdan Zoelva blamed the past regime for discouraging Muslim parties.

In five general elections held under the New Order between 1971 and 1997, Muslim-based political parties did not pass the 30 percent benchmark of House seats.

The fall of Soeharto's regime in 1998 did not give Muslim- based parties an edge, however.