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"If we are in parliament, then we will have chances to make legislative products that is in compliance with Islamic values," Ma’ruf told IOL. |
JAKARTA — Religion is shaping the campaign for Indonesia's general elections, with both Muslim and Christian parties gearing up for the race powered with the very deep sense of disgruntlement with the incumbent secular government.
"If we are in parliament, then we will have chances to make legislative products that are in compliance with Islamic values," Ma’ruf Amin, chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ulemas National Awakening Party (PKNU), told IslamOnline.net.
Some 171 million registered voters will go to the ballot boxes on April 9 to elect members of both chambers of parliament in the third general elections since the fall of the Suharto.
Seven Islamic parties are to contest the upcoming polls among 38 political parties, including the PKNU which is hoping to make enough gains to earn a bigger role in the country's politics.
For Islamic parties, their lack of momentum in the parliament over the past years cost them to lose parliamentary battles over laws like the pornography bill and the Shari`ah banking legislation.
"It’s the consequence of democracy, so we need more seats in parliament," says Ma’ruf.
Only parties that achieve the electoral threshold of 2.5 percent of the cast votes or get at least 4.3 million voters will be awarded seats in the People’s Representative Council (DPR).
According to a survey by the Indonesian Survey Body (LSI), only two of the seven Islamic parties are expected to enter the parliament.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation with a population of 220 million, around 85 percent of them follow Islam.
It is categorized as the most democratic country in Southeast Asia.
Christians Too
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| Pastor Benny believes the trend of Christian-only parties misuses religion for political interests. |
Christian parties, too, are awaiting the elections with the hope of getting more clout in their country's politics to protect their interests.
"We want the government to implement universal values," Dr. Ruyandi Hutasoit, chairman of the Christian Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), told IOL.
The Protestants PDS, established in 2003, currently has 13 seats in the 550-seat parliament.
"This is the first time ever a Christian party has its own faction in parliament," notes Ruyandi.
The party's officials say they want to add in this polls to the successes already achieved over the past years, including changing the content of the pornography bill and advocating for more government fund for churches building.
They are not alone.
Another Christian party, the newly-born Catholic Indonesian Democratic Love Party (PKDI), is also vying for the votes of Christians, who account for about 10 percent of the population.
"I don’t think it would pass the electoral threshold requirement," argues Ruyandi.
Pastor Benny Susetyo, secretary of the Indonesian Churches Conference (KWI), disagrees with the idea of establishing Christian parties.
Rather than protecting the minority's rights, he believes Christians-only parties misuse religion for political interests.
"They did not make concrete actions for Christians actually," he told IOL.
Pastor Benny argues it would be better and more effective for Christian politicians to join nationalist parties to fight for upholding justice in Indonesia.
"Parties must be more rational now."
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