It is quite obvious that a loose coalition of political parties and mass organizations with conflicting interests and ideological orientations may turn out to be a double-edged sword for a presidential hopeful. On the one hand such collaboration can provide an extensive basis for popular support but on the other hand the failure to reconcile their standpoints on various sensitive issues may produce a debilitating liability for their candidate.
While the two presidential hopefuls, Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo, are now busy with their campaign schedules, they might not realize that some internal contradictions or inconsistencies may jeopardize the effectiveness of their campaigns.
As far as Prabowo’s group of coalition is concerned, there are at least two levels of contradictions that may lead to political disorientation among its supporters.
First, while there is no doubt about Prabowo’s personal commitment to eradicate corruption, the three Islamic political parties that support him, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB), have had a problematic track record in eradicating corruption. The reputation of these political parties have been damaged by their own leaders who have been declared suspects in various corruption cases. Before Suryadharma Ali, the former minister of religious affairs who is still chairman of the PPP, was named a suspect in a hajj fund scandal, Prabowo insisted that he had done a god job. Now that his commendation has turned out to be a real joke, it is very difficult not to question his determination to fight against corruption.
Another source of contradiction is more than just different ideological orientations between secular and Islamic parties. When the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) decided to support Prabowo’s candidacy, one of the requirements was that the application of Shariah laws in the regions should be endorsed and multiplied. Satisfying such a demand will contradict the aspirations of Prabowo’s Christian constituents whose primary objective in following him is precisely to find refuge from the intimidation by this groups of religious hard-liners. How can these two strange bed fellows sit together and come up with one voice to strive for the common good?
On various occasions, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Prabowo’s brother and the Gerindra Party’s deputy chief patron who has worked tirelessly to mobilize popular support among extensive networks of Christian churches, has lamented the fact that the current government has done nothing to prevent or stop religious intolerance against the Christian minorities. Things have become even more complicated for Prabowo’s coalition partners when the PKS sought Hashim’s clarification over his statement during a speech at the USINDO Open Forum Luncheon in Washington that dozens of Christian officials at the PKS-led Ministry of Agriculture had been dismissed.
Although Joko Widodo’s coalition is relatively free from the issue of conflicting religious orientations among its partners, their criticism of Prabowo’s alleged past human rights abuses could backfire when people consider the fact that some prominent retired generals in Joko’s camp — like Wiranto, A.M. Hendropriyono and Muchdi Purwoprandjono — also have equally problematic track records on the same issue. On top of that, people may also seek the accountability of the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Megawati Soekarnoputri, who as president in 2003 decided to apply martial law in Aceh, which led to gross violations of human rights there.
Both Prabowo and Joko cannot afford to be silent or indifferent about the internal contradictions in their respective camps if they want to remain respectful in the eyes of the electorate. Somehow they have to come to terms with these internal challenges in order to show to the public that respecting the aspirations of the electorate should get a higher priority than the debilitating political pragmatism that is so rampant among the Indonesian political elite. Let us just hope that they have the courage to do so.
Aleksius Jemadu is dean of the School of Government and Global Affairs at Universitas Pelita Harapan, Karawaci.
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