Jakarta/Surabaya – Two new political parties, linked to the country's two biggest Muslim organizations – Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, are expected to contest the 2009 presidential and legislative elections.
The new Islam-based parties are apparently aimed at challenging the two existing parties in the next elections – the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN), which were founded by the leaders of NU and Muhammadiyah respectively.
Former Muhammadiyah youth group leader Imam Addaruqutni told a news conference Sunday in Jakarta that he and fellow youth activists would launch a new party called the National Sun Party (PMB) on Dec. 11.
He said the new party aimed to accommodate the aspirations of Muhammadiyah, which he claimed were left unheeded by PAN under the leadership of Sutrisno Bachir who replaced former People's Consultative Assembly chairman Amien Rais.
After Indonesia's independence in 1945 Muhammadiyah was linked to the two Islamic parties – the Masyumi Party and the Persis Party. Following the 1998 exit of then president Soeharto, Muhammadiyah leaders founded PAN. "But all ended in disappointment," said Imam, who will serve as PMB chairman with secretary-general to be Ahmad Rofiq.
Rofiq echoed Imam's statement, saying the existing parties linked to Muhammadiyah failed to convey the voices of its members. "The ideological differences between those parties and Muhammadiyah have distanced the organization from the party," Taufiq said.
The PMB would therefore use Islam as its ideological base as demanded by Muhammadiyah members, he added. "Islam as a socio-political reality remains a force and we don't want to be seen as a political party with an unclear ideological basis.
"However, the Islam that the PMB will promote is a progressive Islam. We will also campaign for a substantive Islam," Taufiq said without elaborating.
Imam said the party had completed the establishment of "90 percent" of PMB branches across Indonesia. "By Dec. 11, the preparations will be 100 percent complete".
Last week, some clerics opposed to the leadership of former NU chairman Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid declared the establishment of a new political group called the Ulema National Awakening Party (PKNU). The party was founded by senior NU clerics disappointed by the Gus Dur-controlled PKB, said their spokesman Ma'ruf Amin.
"The new party will reject liberalism and secularism. But we will continue to protect non-Muslims in Indonesia and promote nationalism," Ma'ruf said last Tuesday when declaring the launch of the PKNU at the Langitan Islamic boarding school in Tuban, East Java.
Among those in attendance were school head and charismatic NU cleric Abdullah Faqih and senior ulema Achmad Mas Subadar and Idris Marzuki.
These clerics have been involved in the internal conflict within the PKB currently led by Gus Dur's nephew Muhaimin Iskandar, who is also deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.
The conflict ended with a split of the party into two factions – one led by Muhaimin and other by Choirul Anam. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Muhaimin-Gus Dur camp.
The loss of Anam's faction means it could not contest the 2009 elections unless it changed its name and party attributes. The newly founded PKNU will be led by Anam.
The clerics opposed to Gus Dur were known for their antifeminist stance. They once issued a fatwa banning a woman president when Megawati Soekarnoputri was a contender in the presidential race in 2004.