Articles » 04 Agustus 2007 » Hit: 622
Jakarta poll not an easy choice to make
As the Jakarta gubernatorial election looms, our attention has once again been drawn to the old question of the compatibility of Islam and democracy. The election has been painted as an example of the typical struggle between the Islamist and secular-nationalist camps in Indonesian political history.
This is because the PKS (Prosperous Justice Party), a party with an openly Islamist identity, is supporting one of the two candidates competing for the post of Jakarta's next governor. The other candidate is supported by a range of political parties, apparently representing the nationalist, secular, Islamist, and pluralist ideals of Indonesians.
A recent opinion piece called for voters in Jakarta to be less apathetic in light of the threat that may come from the possibility of a candidate backed by an Islamist party winning the elections ("Adang or Fauzi Bowo: A Stark Contrast in Leadership" by Jusuf Wanandi, The Jakarta Post, July 30, 2007). It went further in arguing that the other gubernatorial candidate should be voted in on Aug. 8 because he represents pluralist ideals, the cornerstone of democracy. There is some discussion of the leadership and public management experience of the two candidates but the real argument aims at rallying voters against "the Islamist threat."
Jusuf Wanandi's argument is simple and simplistic. Its is an age-old debate about whether one should allow Islamist political parties to compete fairly in a democracy since the victory of such parties may ultimately lead to the possibility of the demise of democracy.
People who make this argument will always point to what happened with the election of the Hamas government in Palestine. Less is mentioned about the debacle in Algeria and the evolving experiment with Islamists in Turkey.
Such arguments inevitably put the PKS community in a difficult spot. Although it has existed as a dakwah (promote Islam) community for some time, the decision to form a political party and engage within the democratic framework is new. Many PKS leaders have had no prior experience in political party organization or in government. For many of the Soeharto years, the community was disparate and underground. This metamorphosis was recent and as such the PKS remains a living, learning organization.
What does this mean? This means the PKS is learning to be a political party that plays by the democratic rules of the game alongside all the other legitimate political actors in Indonesia. It is learning that it has a range of Islamist ideals, which include finding space for sharia law in Indonesia, that must be translated into workable solutions for the people on the ground.
It is for this reason that up to this day there is very little clarity from within the party about what implementing sharia law really means. Contrary to allegations of "a hidden agenda", the simple truth is that there is still a lot of discussion (and little agreement) about how to implement sharia law and make it an integral part of governance. The experiments in Bekasi and Depok are classic examples of this.
The PKS community is also learning about what democracy means. Understandably during the Soeharto years, the community remained closed and tight. However, since the return of democracy to Indonesia, the party has had to learn about exposure and openness to other forces and actors within the system.
As a political party, the PKS must respond to its constituency and thus far there are very few indications that a substantial majority of voters are calling for an Islamic state or a Taliban-like regime. There is a substantial middle-ground that the party must learn to accommodate and be open to, including non-Muslims and secular Muslims. Otherwise the party will die a natural death.
The same can be said for the larger PKS community. There is now greater opportunity for PKS members to interact and learn from non-cadres as well as the international community. Since the elections in 2004, the international spotlight on the community has grown to the extent that interactions with international aid agencies and researchers have increased. These interactions are critical in enabling the PKS community to learn about others in a way that can substantially reduce suspicions about "the Other." Through these open interactions grow mutual trust and toleration -- learning about democracy from within.
It is for these reasons that articles which highlight the "Islamist threat" and implore voters to vote against "Islamism" every time there is electoral competition involving a PKS-backed candidate can be counterproductive. It may end up pitting the "Islamic Voice" against "the non-Muslim Other", thereby reinforcing traditional beliefs within the Islamist camps that the enemy is still out there. It is counterproductive particularly to the efforts of young members from within the organization who are pushing for reform and adaptation within the community.
The evolution and metamorphosis of the PKS is far from over. It would be unfortunate if the growth of the PKS is stunted as a result of short-term name-calling and simplistic arguments. The Jakarta gubernatorial elections are important. They are important because voters should take responsibility for deciding on which is the better candidate to manage this great city.
Who is the person with the professionalism, sincerity, leadership and management skills that will bring the city forward into the future? Voters should not be threatened with boogeyman images of a city governed by Islamic law in the event that the candidate backed by the Islamist political party is chosen. There are surely many other ways to persuade voters to go out and vote, and to vote wisely according to their conscience for the best candidate to serve as Jakarta governor.
Note :
The article is an answered of Jusuf Wanandi`s article on July 30th, 2007 in Jakarta Post
( http://www.thejakartapost.com/Archives/ArchivesDet2.asp?FileID=20070803.F03 )
Highly recommended to read as well
( http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20070730.A05 )
( http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070806.A04&irec=3 )
This is because the PKS (Prosperous Justice Party), a party with an openly Islamist identity, is supporting one of the two candidates competing for the post of Jakarta's next governor. The other candidate is supported by a range of political parties, apparently representing the nationalist, secular, Islamist, and pluralist ideals of Indonesians.
A recent opinion piece called for voters in Jakarta to be less apathetic in light of the threat that may come from the possibility of a candidate backed by an Islamist party winning the elections ("Adang or Fauzi Bowo: A Stark Contrast in Leadership" by Jusuf Wanandi, The Jakarta Post, July 30, 2007). It went further in arguing that the other gubernatorial candidate should be voted in on Aug. 8 because he represents pluralist ideals, the cornerstone of democracy. There is some discussion of the leadership and public management experience of the two candidates but the real argument aims at rallying voters against "the Islamist threat."
Jusuf Wanandi's argument is simple and simplistic. Its is an age-old debate about whether one should allow Islamist political parties to compete fairly in a democracy since the victory of such parties may ultimately lead to the possibility of the demise of democracy.
People who make this argument will always point to what happened with the election of the Hamas government in Palestine. Less is mentioned about the debacle in Algeria and the evolving experiment with Islamists in Turkey.
Such arguments inevitably put the PKS community in a difficult spot. Although it has existed as a dakwah (promote Islam) community for some time, the decision to form a political party and engage within the democratic framework is new. Many PKS leaders have had no prior experience in political party organization or in government. For many of the Soeharto years, the community was disparate and underground. This metamorphosis was recent and as such the PKS remains a living, learning organization.
What does this mean? This means the PKS is learning to be a political party that plays by the democratic rules of the game alongside all the other legitimate political actors in Indonesia. It is learning that it has a range of Islamist ideals, which include finding space for sharia law in Indonesia, that must be translated into workable solutions for the people on the ground.
It is for this reason that up to this day there is very little clarity from within the party about what implementing sharia law really means. Contrary to allegations of "a hidden agenda", the simple truth is that there is still a lot of discussion (and little agreement) about how to implement sharia law and make it an integral part of governance. The experiments in Bekasi and Depok are classic examples of this.
The PKS community is also learning about what democracy means. Understandably during the Soeharto years, the community remained closed and tight. However, since the return of democracy to Indonesia, the party has had to learn about exposure and openness to other forces and actors within the system.
As a political party, the PKS must respond to its constituency and thus far there are very few indications that a substantial majority of voters are calling for an Islamic state or a Taliban-like regime. There is a substantial middle-ground that the party must learn to accommodate and be open to, including non-Muslims and secular Muslims. Otherwise the party will die a natural death.
The same can be said for the larger PKS community. There is now greater opportunity for PKS members to interact and learn from non-cadres as well as the international community. Since the elections in 2004, the international spotlight on the community has grown to the extent that interactions with international aid agencies and researchers have increased. These interactions are critical in enabling the PKS community to learn about others in a way that can substantially reduce suspicions about "the Other." Through these open interactions grow mutual trust and toleration -- learning about democracy from within.
It is for these reasons that articles which highlight the "Islamist threat" and implore voters to vote against "Islamism" every time there is electoral competition involving a PKS-backed candidate can be counterproductive. It may end up pitting the "Islamic Voice" against "the non-Muslim Other", thereby reinforcing traditional beliefs within the Islamist camps that the enemy is still out there. It is counterproductive particularly to the efforts of young members from within the organization who are pushing for reform and adaptation within the community.
The evolution and metamorphosis of the PKS is far from over. It would be unfortunate if the growth of the PKS is stunted as a result of short-term name-calling and simplistic arguments. The Jakarta gubernatorial elections are important. They are important because voters should take responsibility for deciding on which is the better candidate to manage this great city.
Who is the person with the professionalism, sincerity, leadership and management skills that will bring the city forward into the future? Voters should not be threatened with boogeyman images of a city governed by Islamic law in the event that the candidate backed by the Islamist political party is chosen. There are surely many other ways to persuade voters to go out and vote, and to vote wisely according to their conscience for the best candidate to serve as Jakarta governor.
Note :
The article is an answered of Jusuf Wanandi`s article on July 30th, 2007 in Jakarta Post
( http://www.thejakartapost.com/Archives/ArchivesDet2.asp?FileID=20070803.F03 )
Highly recommended to read as well
( http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20070730.A05 )
( http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070806.A04&irec=3 )