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PKS teams up with Soeharto-clan party to counter Jokowi coalition
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) knows that being the sole opposition party to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration is a huge political risk, therefore, the Islamic party has joined forces with the Berkarya Party — led by the children of former president Soeharto — to form a stronger power outside the government
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span>The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) knows that being the sole opposition party to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration is a huge political risk, therefore, the Islamic party has joined forces with the Berkarya Party — led by the children of former president Soeharto — to form a stronger power outside the government.
Soeharto’s youngest son, Hutomo Mandala Putra, better known as Tommy Soeharto, is the Berkarya Party founder and chairman. Meanwhile, his sister, Siti “Titiek” Hediati Hariyadi, chairs the party’s advisory board.
The PKS welcomed Tommy, Titiek and Berkarya Party executives to its headquarters in the TB Simatupang area of South Jakarta on Tuesday.
After the one-hour meeting, the two parties agreed to be “an alternative voice amid the consolidated political power” now that their former ally the Gerindra Party had joined the government.
Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto — Titiek’s ex-husband — serves as defense minister in Jokowi’s Cabinet, alongside the party’s deputy chairman Edhy Prabowo as maritime affairs and fisheries minister.
PKS chairman Sohibul Iman said that although the Berkarya Party did not make it to the House of Representatives, the PKS still needed its support to strengthen what he called “a pressure group against the government”.
“Sure, Berkarya doesn’t have a representative at the House, but as a political party it has the right to speak for and support the parties outside the government. That’s what we need from the party,” Sohibul said.
Tommy said that since Indonesia did not recognize the concept of an “opposition”, the party’s support for the PKS was based on the public interest.
“We will support the government’s policy if it benefits the people, and provide a better solution if it doesn’t. That’s what we will do in the future,” he said.
Concurring with Tommy, Berkarya Party secretary-general Priyo Budi Santoso said the party did not want to leave the PKS alone in the current consolidated politics, in which almost all political parties flocked to join the government.
“There’s a need for alternative voices to strengthen the quality of our democracy. We do not want to let our democracy fall apart because many parties are moving closer to power,” he said.
Tommy was known as a racer and businessman during the heyday of his father’s dictatorship, which ended in 1998.
In 2002, Tommy was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for ordering the murder of Supreme Court justice Syaifuddin Kartasasmita, who had found him guilty of corruption in 2000.
Tommy founded Berkarya on his 54th birthday on July 15, 2016.
Berkarya and the PKS were part of a coalition that backed the Prabowo-Sandiaga Uno ticket in the 2019 presidential election. Although Prabowo has joined the government, Tommy said that the party did not regard him as a traitor.
“I think that is Pak Prabowo’s prerogative. In politics, we must always accept the reality,” he said about his former brother-in-law, smiling.
The PKS has long expressed its admiration for the late dictator Soeharto, who ruled the country for over three decades.
In 2009, the PKS featured Soeharto in a political ad, along with iconic Indonesian figures and heroes like first president Sukarno, KH Ahmad Dahlan, Soedirman and Bung Tomo.
A year later, the PKS was also one of the parties that supported naming Soeharto a national hero, noting his contribution to developing the country and pulling millions of Indonesians out of abject poverty. Activists quickly rejected the idea, given the late president’s poor track record with regard to human rights abuses and corruption.
Besides working together to challenge the government, the PKS and Berkarya will work together in contesting the 2020 regional elections in several strategic locations that are still being discussed.
Both parties also agreed to safeguard the country against the threat of communism, separatism, terrorism, radicalism and other threats to national defense and security, together with the Indonesian Military, the National Police, civil society and all components of the nation. Prior to its deal with the Berkarya Party, the PKS had formed a similar agreement with a party in the government coalition the NasDem Party, led by media mogul Surya Paloh. The PKS and NasDems agreed to “strengthen checks and balances on the government” and to work together to win the 2020 elections in several regions.
NasDem executive Willy Aditya welcomed the PKS-Berkarya collaboration.
“If the meeting makes them more solid, then that’s good. The checks and balances function will become stronger, and that is good for democracy,” he said.
Indonesia Political Review executive director Ujang Komarudin said the PKS was in need of support from other political parties being in opposition, and the young and small Berkarya Party could at least be “a friend” when no one else was there.
“The PKS is just looking for friends and additional strength. They don’t want to be alone.”
Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) political expert Adi Prayitno, however, said that it would be better for the PKS to convince other parties outside the government, the Democratic Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN) to affirm their position as official opposition.
“Look at the political calculations. The Berkarya Party didn’t even make it to the House,” he said.
Sohibul said the PKS would continue political communications with PAN and Dems leaders, however, neither parties has confirmed a specific time for a meeting with the PKS.
