PKS pledges to help civil society flourish

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has reached a remarkable level of popularity since 1999, thanks to its consistent clean image and campaign against corruption. The Jakarta Post's Hera Diani and Dwi Atmanta talked with the newly elected president of the party, Tifatul Sembiring, about the prospects for the organization.

Question: How is the PKS preparing for the 2009 general election?

Answer: We have already formulated our political targets -- how many votes should we get, whether should we contest the presidential election, the strategy, and so forth.

We're aiming for more than 20 percent of the vote, or around 2.5 times more than our achievement in 2004. That is a realistic target. If we compare 1999 and 2004, there was a remarkable increase in our voters, from 1.4 million to 8.3 million.

More than 20 percent means around 22 million voters. This would also mean a greater number of House of Representatives legislators and councillors. From 191 legislators and councillors countrywide to 1,112 in 2004, we are projecting we will gain some 3,500 in total, or 35 House legislators, by 2009. More or less the size of the Golkar Party at present.

How will you achieve that?

We're a party of members. Unlike other parties, we have no floating mass of voters. There are regular meetings and training for party members. We depend on them as our marketing agents, so we focus on increasing their number and improving their quality.

The PKS raised the issue of sharia law in 1999, and emphasized corruption eradication in 2004. What about in 2009?

Our slogan is basically "we're clean, and we care", that's what we're going to stick with. The society, I guess, is learning from the PKS legislators and councillors who have set good examples.

In Aceh, for instance, the PKS councillor was the only one who did not take money from (convicted embezzler and former) governor Abdullah Puteh. We have also discharged legislators who, although it did not involve embezzlement, received donations or money from sources outside the list stipulated by our executive board.

We have an opinion that our party is the morality barometer, and we want people to know that we have a working mechanism to hand down punishments.

We don't put our emphasis solely on fighting corruption, but look at the general morality of the state administration, aiming for good governance, clean government and equality before the law.

Actually, we have never formally raised the issue of sharia. Our constitution is based on the Madinah chapter back in the period of Prophet Muhammad, when he moved from Mecca to Madinah (Medina). The society back then comprised Muslims, Jews, Christians and several other religions.

The Prophet then decreed that each group was free to stick to their own religion and must not attack the other. That is exactly the principle of a civil society.

We stick to that principle of peaceful coexistence, but of upholding sharia among Muslims. This party is open to any religion.

How is good governance implemented in the party?

We have a weekly meeting where we teach party members about morality and virtue, and we here can control and monitor our members' behavior.

The United States Embassy here, for instance, praised us because at a recent protest staged there by our members, they said the place was cleaner after the demonstration was over.

That's because we also insist on small things like not littering during demonstrations, not damaging the plants. We even say there must not be a single tree branch broken.

The PKS has never been heard commenting on issues like the difference of opinion regarding interpretations of Islamic jurisprudence.

It's not an issue that we care about, but we already have an internal council consisting of ulema, which analyzes laws and issues edicts and recommendations, and we later familiarize our members with these ideas. The council also coordinates with other organizations such as the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

Our focus is to form a better society -- a more educated one, a society that respects differences and equality before the law. We are concerned about how to improve the economy while keeping our dignity in the international community.

What do you think about the emerging religious hardliners or radical groups?

They are just small, extreme groups. Culturally, most Indonesians are forgiving and respect human life.

Radical groups should not be provoked. Our leaders should teach by leading by example when it comes to reconciliation. But I don't think people are very interested in ideological issues like the conflict of civilizations anymore.

The failure of (former president) Megawati Soekarnoputri to attend the oath-taking of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the new president was regrettable, as people might think Megawati could not forgive him.

The causes and reasons for radicalism are arguable. But I don't think we should be concerned much about the rise of fundamentalism. As long as the government accommodates people's interests and aspirations and maintains the economy, it won't grow.

How do you evaluate the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono?

Let's just say that the administration's work is still under the threshold of our tolerance. We have monthly meetings with President Susilo to evaluate the situation. To maintain a good coalition, we do not criticize publicly. Unless there is a blatant violation.

How do you keep your party support solid?

We stick to the principle that power is not a gift, it's a burden, a mandate. I didn't even campaign to be the party's president; it was the party that elected me. There's no political maneuvering or vote-buying in the PKS. Everything progresses naturally, democratically.

Internal debates and arguments do exist, but they are not for public consumption, so we can maintain a good and stable image.

Ambition is also a sensitive issue in the PKS. Ambitious members, or even those who show a little too much interest in a position will be discharged.