New parties warned of sectarianism
New parties warned of sectarianism
JAKARTA (JP): Two Moslem figures have come out behind the
establishment of religion-affiliated political parties, but a
political observer has warned against dangers of sectarianism.
Cholil Bisri, a cofounder of the People's Awakening Party,
said in a discussion here yesterday the establishment of Islamic
parties had its legitimacy from Islamic teaching and Indonesian
history.
"The Koran does not have special verses stipulating Moslems to
have their own parties. But Islam (teaches) that Moslems are
obliged to fulfill what is compulsory," he said. "Islamic parties
should be seen as an inevitability."
He said further that in the past, the country had several
religion-based political parties and the government could not
prevent Moslems from establishing their own political parties.
Deliar Noer, a cofounder of the Moslem People's Party, said it
should be the people, rather than the government, who decided
whether Islamic parties were necessary or acceptable.
"The people will decide about this in the next general
election and they will decide who should govern them," he said.
President B.J. Habibie's administration plans to hold the
general election by mid-1999 and the presidential election later
in the year.
Deliar argued the government did not have any authority to bar
the Moslem community from setting up its own parties because
there were historical precedents from the Dutch colonial era.
"Before Indonesian independence, we had two Islamic parties,
Sjarikat Dagang Islam and Sjarikat Islam and they were active in
fighting for the independence," said Deliar, whose doctoral
thesis was on Islamic organizations.
"During the revolution years, Islamic parties were not a
problem to the government and a fair election could be held in
1955. And it was tragic and ironic that the New Order regime
froze all parties and allowed only the existing three," he said.
He said history proved that a multiparty system supported
democratization and did not pose any threat to the national
unity.
In the past, parties cooperated and formed coalitions in order
to compete with the dominant parties, he said.
Deliar said it would once again be possible for new political
parties to form alliances to push for reform and democratization
in the country.
"I have witnessed new political parties expressing readiness
to form coalitions to push for reform, which is now apparently
stagnant."
Political observer Marsillam Simanjuntak said the mushrooming
of Islamic parties nowadays could raise concerns about
sectarianism among non-Moslem groups and threaten unity in the
pluralistic society.
"I'm not against (Islamic parties) but I do not support them.
What I want to say is that those parties could become sectarian
in nature."
He questioned motives for establishment of religion-based
political parties, and whether all groups, including communists,
in society were allowed to set up parties.
He concurred that a multiparty system was needed to help
uphold democracy and reform.
Following the loosening of restrictions in some political
spheres, groups in society have competed to establish their own
political parties. There have been more than 40 parties
established, with the most recent being the People's Awakening
Party, which is affiliated to the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem
organization but claims to be open to everybody regardless of
their religious background. (rms)