PKB, PDI-P vow to work together
JAKARTA (JP): The moderate Muslim-based National Awakening Party (PKB) and nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) said they would further their strong partnership to calm rising regional and sectarian tension.
"Many problems of the nation could be solved if PDI Perjuangan and PKB cooperate," A. Effendy Choirie, an official from PKB, said after he and several of the party's legislators met on Friday with Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who chairs PDI Perjuangan.
Effendy said a strong cooperation between a nationalist party and a moderate Muslim party would be an ideal pairing.
"A good political environment could be built if we set up strong cooperation," said Effendi, who sits in the House of Representatives Commission I.
He explained that ulemas of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) suggested in a meeting on Thursday night that PKB set up joint communication posts with PDI Perjuangan.
"The posts, which would be set up across the country, are aimed at preventing riots by providing an exchange of information between conflicting parties," he said.
PDI Perjuangan and PKB were the highest and third highest vote-getters in last year's general election in June.
Megawati and PKB founder Abdurrahman Wahid were the two final candidates in the presidential election in October.
Christian
Led by its House faction chairman, Taufiqurrahman Saleh, PKB legislators paid a courtesy call to the Vice President on Friday.
Effendy said that Megawati asked PKB to clarify to the Muslim public that PDI-Perjuangan was not a Christian party as claimed by some outside the party.
"Megawati asked PKB to tell Muslims that PDI Perjuangan was not a Christian party or controlled by a majority of Christians," he said.
He said there were incidents where some people refused to donate to the party because it was considered Christian.
"That's really not right," Effendy remarked.
He said Megawati also complained about the exploitation of Islamic symbols to incite people to demonstrate in front of the vice presidential palace.
"They even threatened to occupy this building," he added.
Separately, PKB secretary-general Muhaimin Iskandar said the party initiated a national awareness among Muslims to stop the spread of communal clashes.
"We call on all Muslim-based parties, institutions, groups and society to join the movement and to avoid aggressive activities which tend to erupt in violence."
"Religious leaders in the capital have been told to soothe the tension and not get involved in the activities of those who take advantage of the situation," he said.
Muhaimin, who is also the House deputy speaker, explained that the movement would be run by the party and NU.
The movement, he said, would form information centers in other regions to clarify rumors regarding the issue of Maluku.
"The centers would function in anticipation of conflicts," he added.
Muhaimin conceded that the movement was a reaction to an earlier mass gathering last week, which called for a holy war in Maluku's two provinces.
Speaking to journalists at his residence here, he said after the recent fray in Lombok, there was a high possibility of violence spreading to other parts of the country, particularly in places sheltering Maluku refugees. (01/jun)