Plot seen behind secular-Muslim polarization

Plot seen behind secular-Muslim polarization

JAKARTA (JP): Politicians and observers warned on Friday that
certain people in the political elite were attempting to exploit
conflicts between supporters of nationalism secular and Islam for
their own benefit.

Cornelis Lay of Gadjah Mada University, National Awakening
Party (PKB) secretary-general Muhaimin Iskandar and Nationalist
Student Movement (GMNI) secretary-general Ahmad Baskara were
commenting on a proposal by a group of politicians to seek a
presidential candidate other than those nominated by the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and ruling Golkar Party.

The three were speaking at a regular discussion held by the
Center for Indonesian Democracy.

National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais said the new
grouping, which he called "center", would evade a deadlock when
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) elects the next
president.

Cornelis said the plan to establish the new faction was "an
effort by a few people who want to manipulate discourses on
conflicts between Muslims and nationalists" for their own
benefit.

He said that, contrary to what many have predicted, a
widespread conflict between nationalists and Muslims would not
break out at the grassroots level.

Citing the outcome of the June 7 elections, Cornelis said the
nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) topped the vote-count in many predominantly Muslim
areas throughout Central and East Java. However, clashes instead
exploded between supporters of Islam-based parties, namely PKB
and the United Development Party (PPP), he said.

A deadlock seems imminent for the presidential election,
scheduled for November, as neither PDI Perjuangan's chairwoman
Megawati Soekarnoputri, nor Golkar, which has nominated incumbent
B.J. Habibie, would gain a majority at the 700-seat MPR.

PKB's Muhaimin suspected that the planned new faction was
aimed at preventing Megawati from becoming president.

"I wonder whether the 'central' is just a new form of Islamic
faction which is intended to foil Megawati's bid," Muhaimin said.

He said PKB had never dropped its support for Megawati,
despite Amien's claim that PKB founder Abdurrahman Wahid, better
known as Gus Dur, gave his approval for the new faction.

"Up to now, we believe the poll winner must be given the
chance to assume power. I don't think Gus Dur is that serious in
responding to the plan to form the 'center'," Muhaimin said.

Meanwhile, GMNI's Baskara challenged the view that
nationalists opposed Islam. He said the country's founding
fathers decided to build a nation state, instead of an Islamic
state, but gave Muslims a great opportunity to come to power
through a democratic system.

"Islam is allowed to play the key role in the state, but not
through undemocratic means," Baskara explained.

He said there was no evidence that founding president Sukarno,
the man who promoted nationalism, had ever thought of destroying
Islam.

However, Cornelis said that nationalism later became prone to
manipulation when the ideology was claimed by the ruling
Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI) during Sukarno's regime.

"This was a historical mistake that in turn weakened the
nationalists themselves," he said.

Nationalism, he said, refers to equality and justice for all
citizens, regardless their ethnics, religions or even political
affiliations.

According to Cornelis, the time has come for Megawati to play
a historical role in reconciling nationalist and Muslim camps,
the two strongest political groupings in the country.

"She should not pay too much attention to pressure for her to
overhaul the list of legislative candidates that many have
criticized as dominated by non-Muslims," he said. (amd)