, The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 02/04/2006 10:35 AM | Opinion
Known for its uncompromising fight against corruption, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) raised many eyebrows by joining the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. PKS leader Tiffatul Sembiring outlined the party's vision about the country in a written interview with The Jakarta Post.
Question: What is the vision of PKS of Indonesia over the medium-and long-term period?
Answer: Based on the political manifesto of the Justice Party in 1998, which was readopted by the Prosperous Justice Party in 2002, we aspire to build a strong country which offers justice and prosperity, both materially and spiritually. Justice and prosperity constitute the main objectives of Islamic teachings because through them people can live and worship in peace.
To achieve these aspirations, attention should be paid to education for all citizens, poverty alleviation, corruption eradication, law enforcement, good governance and human resources development.
What kind of democracy does PKS wish to achieve?
PKS is convinced that democracy in Indonesia is one that recognizes and upholds religious values.
In practice PKS promotes the concept of democracy which reflects public aspirations and interests that benefit people rather than the political and economic elite. It is this morality and justice-oriented democracy that produces a clean government which serves the people. But problems are still found in our public institutions and political culture. Therefore, direct elections do not guarantee the fulfillment of the majority of voters' aspirations.
We need credible and professional election organizers (General Elections Commission) as well as dedicated supervisory and monitoring agencies. Political parties are also responsible for the education and empowerment of their constituents, not just the struggle for votes and legislative seats.
What distinguishes the civil society PKS is promoting from the current one (developed on the basis of Pancasila)?
There are various indicators of a civil society, most are in agreement with PKS political views and some are not. Among those incompatible with PKS is secularism, which is also opposed to the reality of Indonesia's social life.
The PKS Political Manifesto affirms that the political system we aspire for has the following principles: sovereignty belongs to people, freedom and equality are appreciated, all citizens are obliged to fight tyranny and the Constitution is respected. Here lies the central role of civil society.
What about suspicions that this civil society contains discriminatory practices against non-Muslims?
Discriminatory practices frequently occur out of deviations in implementation, instead of arising from a nation's official concept or way of life. The racial riots in France and Australia portray how national integration has become a problem for all nations. Their intensity and underlying causes may vary but the core of the issue is the same: deviations. Even in the U.S., which claims to be the champion of democracy, the enforcement of the Patriot Act and formation of the Department of Homeland Security is a threat to civil freedom there.
Islam is against discrimination because it is contrary to the spirit of justice. The Islamic doctrine concerning diverse ethnic groups, race and language is very clear. In religious life Islam teaches: ""no force is exercised in religion"", ""you have your religion and I have mine"", ""let no hatred toward a group make you act unjustly"" and so forth.
The civil society we aim to achieve promotes equality before the law. Of course, proportionality will apply as a natural law in all countries. If Cat Stevens stood an unequal chance to rise as British prime minister compared to Tony Blair, it is something natural. The same is true if an African-American like Muhammad Ali fails to become the U.S. president while Bill Clinton made it.
PKS is now part of the ""establishment"" by joining the central and regional governments. Can those aforementioned values be maintained?
The media and public should objectively view the behavior of other parties with a greater share (in the Cabinet and legislature). Apart from the Agriculture Ministry, the departments handled by PKS members are not so significant in the current national context. Moreover, the complicated budget mechanism and old corrupt bureaucracy remain a constraint.
Regional administrations are a bit different because PKS cooperates with various candidates and political parties. Sadly, the PKS victory in the mayoral elections in Depok faced challenges because there were those who made use of loopholes in our judicial system.
Is the adoption of sharia a target of PKS? What is the PKS stance toward sharia in Aceh and several regencies in Indonesia?
People often simplify sharia as cutting off hands and stoning. Sharia is very broad, covering all aspects of life and having a universal nature. In our understanding, a government creating public welfare performs amar ma'ruf (doing what is correct) in the sense of sharia, and one eradicating corruption carries out nahi mungkar (rejecting what is wrong) as obliged by sharia.
It is also frequently forgotten that like other customary laws, sharia is a reality and an asset of the national law. Meanwhile, the Criminal Code we use today is of Dutch origin. Its revision now underway should be an attempt to revitalize the national law so that local/national aspirations are absorbed.
In this perspective, the application of sharia in Aceh and the same demands in other regions should not be deemed negative. This autonomy is guaranteed by law. It is a valuable experiment for the formation of our national law. Should we inherit the colonial law because of our prejudice against Islamic and other customary laws?
It is more important to consider competent law enforcement personnel and facilities while building a justice-oriented culture of law. Any controversy over the substance of national law against Islamic/local laws should be avoided, while judicial corruption still prevails.
No comments:
Post a Comment