PKS sees attempt to push it out of pro-Susilo coalition

PKS sees attempt to push it out of pro-Susilo coalition

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Islamic-oriented Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has claimed
it senses a conspiracy to alienate it from the coalition that
supports the current administration.

PKS chairman Tifatul Sembiring said certain individuals or
groups had attempted to edge his party out of the coalition that
supports the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
and Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

"I don't want to name names, but their characteristics are of
the 'pro-New Order regime ideology', and they have tried to push
PKS out of the coalition," he said on the sidelines of a party
gathering on Sunday in Bogor, West Java.

"It (the alleged conspiracy) was one of the reasons for us to
insist on maintaining our stance as a government partner, while
providing constructive criticism," he added as quoted by Antara.

Before Susilo announced a Cabinet shakeup last week, the
Kalla-led Golkar held a national leadership meeting in Jakarta,
reaching a conclusion that the country's largest party would
lobby other political groups to back the current government.

The party was also rumored to have demanded more Cabinet seats
in the reshuffle, but Susilo gave it only one more, bringing the
total number of its ministers to three.

Golkar, which was previously led by Akbar Tandjung, had
challenged Susilo's candidacy by backing the bid of the rival
pairing of Wiranto and Solahuddin Wahid, along with the National
Awakening Party (PKB) during the presidential election.

Also ahead of the Cabinet shakeup, PKS publicly asked Susilo
to increase its Cabinet seats to four. However, the President
refused to respond to the request.

Nevertheless, a recent national meeting of PKS patrons decided
that the party would continue supporting the Susilo-Kalla
administration, despite growing protests from grassroots
constituents who opposed the government policy of raising the
fuel prices in October.

"It has been decided by our board of patrons, whose members
are from all over the country. Once decided, there will be no
more discourse," Tifatul said.

According to Tifatul, the victory of Susilo and Kalla in the
2004 presidential election was mainly due to the efforts of four
political parties: the Democratic Party (PD), PKS, the Crescent
Star Party (PBB) and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party
(PKPI).

"We can't deny that fact. It was these four parties that
contributed to the victory as they fought hard to persuade people
to vote for the pair," he said.

Should the PKS be pushed out of the coalition, Tifatul said,
the government's attempts to eradicate corruption and other
crimes would no longer be effective.

Before deciding to support the Susilo-Kalla pairing, the party
had signed a political contract for them to pledge their
commitment to good and clean governance, he added.

Tifatul said that so far the cooperation between Susilo and
Kalla to eradicate corruption had been effective, with a number
of big-time corruptors already sent to jail.

"We've established a task force comprising financial forensic
experts to investigate dubious transfers, money laundering and
other crimes. These attempts have irritated many corruptors.
That's why they want us out of the (pro-Susilo) coalition," he
said.

He said PKS would continue to get public support, particularly
because of its "effective and efficient" efforts to combat
corruption, as well as other crimes like drug abuse, gambling and
prostitution.