VP: Nationalist, Islamist Parties increasingly more alike

The Jakarta Post   |  Sat, 01/24/2009 9:04 PM  |  National

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said Saturday that there were now almost no clear distinctions between nationalist and Islamist political parties in Indonesia as the former were increasingly becoming Islamist and the latter nationalist.

"In Golkar, we already have an Islamic Propagation Council (MDI) and the Al-Hidayah organization, the Indonesian Democracy Party-Struggle (PDIP) has set up a Baitul Muslimin, many of the candidates for political office in the National Mandate Party (PAN) now are Christians, the National Awakening Party (PKB) now consists of people of diverse backgrounds, and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) reveres (the late former president) Soeharto," Kalla said as reported by Antara state news agency.

The vice president made the statement in his address at the opening of a meeting of the Fatwa (Edict) Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in Padang Panjang, West Sumatra, on Saturday.

He was responding to an MUI appeal to political parties intending to participate in general elections later this year to remain "civil, polite and non-provocative" in their campaigns, and to avoid acts or attitudes that could trigger violence and unrest.

Kalla who is also chairman of the Golkar Party  said  political parties  were now not as bellicose towards each other as in the past.

MUI chairman KH Sahal Mahfudh, who made the appeal to the political parties, said the latter should keep in mind that elections were a means to form a good government capable of bringing about welfare, and "not an arena to battle each other to gain power."
 

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