Solahuddin calls for political allaince between PKB and PPP

Solahuddin calls for political allaince between PKB and PPP

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The chairman of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization,
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has called for a political alliance between
its National Awakening Party (PKB), and the United Development
Party (PPP) during the general elections in 2004.

"The coalition is necessary to prevent huge potential conflict
among NU supporters voting for PKB and PPP in the next
elections," Solahuddin Wahid told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Such an alliance, he said, is important for the two NU-based
political parties to win significant votes in the 2004 district-
system general elections.

Solahuddin cited the results of a simulation, under a district
system, as part of the 1999 elections, in which the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) received 199 seats,
the Golkar Party 167 seats, the PKB 38 seats, the PPP 33 seats
and the National Mandate Party (PAN) got 19 seats.

The Crescent Star Party (PBB) and Justice Party (PK) grabbed
one seat each.

Based on the results, Solahuddin said only PDI Perjuangan,
Golkar and a coalition of Islamic parties grouped in the so-
called Central Axis will be eligible in the next polls.

A PKB-PPP alliance should also involve other NU-based
political parties -- People's Sovereignty Party (PKU), People's
Awakening Party (PNU) and Sunni Party, Solahuddin said. NU boasts
around 40 million members nationwide.

He admitted, however, that he couldn't explore the possibility
of merging PKB with PPP in the near future, owing to certain
differences, such as PPP's demand for the inclusion of the
Jakarta Chapter in the constitution.

Muslim-based parties such as PPP, PBB and PK supported the
inclusion of Islamic principles adopted by the Jakarta Chapter in
the 1945 Constitution, while PKB, Golkar and PDI Perjuangan have
opposed the call.

According to Solahuddin, NU endorses Islamic sharia law to be
included in national constitution merely as "cultural and
political" symbols. He declined to elaborate.

Meanwhile, NU Chairman Hasyim Muzadi said PKB founder
Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid backed suggestions for the holding of
an extraordinary party congress to elect a definitive chairman if
the on-going leadership dispute within the forth largest party
cannot be resolved amicably.

"Gus Dur supports an extraordinary congress if the conflict
cannot be overcome in a friendly manner because...it is an
organizational settlement," Hasyim said on Saturday in Surabaya,
East Java.

He said NU members who met recently at the Langitan boarding
school in the East Java town of Tuban had recommended that the
dispute be settled in a special PKB congress following their
failure to reconcile conflicting factions.

PKB has been embroiled in a bitter dispute since the ousting
of Gus Dur as president in July, who then sacked party chairman
Matori Abdul Djalil and appointed Alwi Shihab to replace him.

However, Matori, who also serves as defense minister, defied
the sacking and instead set up a rival PKB camp. Last week, NU
leaders tried to convene a conciliatory meeting in Langitan for
Matori and Gus Dur, but the two did not show up.

"During the extraordinary congress, the PKB central board will
be accountable for its decision to sack Matori and he will be
given a chance to defend himself -- but the final decision will
be made by congress participants," Hasyim said.

He urged the PKB to hold such a congress as soon as possible
as NU wants to see the internal conflict resolved quickly.