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No taker for Islam-based parties coalition in Indonesian presidency push
Jakarta Globe - April 18, 2014
Representatives from the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), and the Star Crescent Party (PBB) met at the house of a businessman who is said to be ready to finance the proposed coalition.
Also attending Thursday's meeting were representatives from Muslim organizations like the Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, and the Indonesian Council of Ulemas.
But the meeting failed to produce any resolution with some attendees doubting its effectiveness. At the same time, those who supported the proposal had different ideas as to what the coalition should strive for.
"In today's politics, it is no longer relevant to separate Islamic parties from nationalist parties," PKB central leadership board chairman Marwan Jafar said after the meeting. "There is not a single Muslim figure with enough electability and popularity to compete with [presidential candidates] from nationalist parties."
Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who had been a former chairman of the Islamic Student Association (HMI), said that forming a coalition of Islamic parties will not be easy.
"Between the Islamic parties themselves, there are frictions. How can we compete with the outside world when we can't even set aside our own differences?" Kalla told news portal Detik.com on Friday.
Bachtiar Natsir – a cleric known for criticizing nationalist-based parties and their candidates, and who has spearheaded the idea of a coalition – had called for representatives of all five Islam-based parties to meet on Thursday evening.
"Muslim groups want Islamic parties to unite and nominate their own presidential pairs. This is in essence a consolidation of parties based on people's aspirations who think Islam-based parties have enough power to compete [in the presidential race] if they join forces," Bachtiar said before Thursday's meeting.
The only time Islamic parties formed a coalition was in 1999 to pick presidential candidate Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid to rival Megawati Soekarnoputri. The coalition successfully supported Gus Dur who defeated Megawati for the presidency.
But PAN founder Amien Rais who spearheaded the 1999 coalition doubted such a bloc will be effective today. "A coalition of Islamic parties is too small. Don't think that Islamic parties alone can solve the nation's problems," Amien said after Thursday's meeting with Bachtiar.
Political observer Ray Rangkuti said that a coalition of Islamic parties would only represent 30 percent of the incoming House of Representatives. "Imagine a government with only 30 percent of House support, while the rest are opposition members," he said.
The proposed bloc also lacked a unifying figure as it had in Gus Dur in 1999, Ray added, noting that even if such a coalition were to be formed it would only be dominated by infighting, with each party trying to push for its own presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, the PPP has already stated its intention to join the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and nominate Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto as their presidential candidate.
PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali said that his party is ready to join the coalition of Islamic parties only if Gerindra is allowed in. "I agree [with the idea to form a coalition], but it would be better that it is not merely a coalition of Islamic parties," he said.
Additionally, Suryadharma said that the proposed coalition should support Prabowo. "I think [Prabowo] would make a great Indonesian leader," he said.
The PKS also proposed forming a coalition first, and then offering itself to Prabowo and Gerindra in exchange for a vice presidential nomination and ministerial posts.
"If all Islamic parties were united, we would have 31 percent of the vote. This coalition would have a strong enough bargaining position before we propose something to a nationalist party, such as Gerindra," said Refrizal, a senior PKS politician.
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