Page 52 - AEI Insights 2019 - Vol. 5, Issue 1

AEI Insights, Vol 5, Issue 1, 2019

As a response to the reformation, Habibie announced that the chief priority was to root out the
KKN and to create a clean government. On the political front, he highlighted five fundamentals
of the political system, namely, the DPR (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or House of
Representatives), the MPR (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or People’s Consultative
Assembly), political parties, regional administration and elections. To be more democratic, the
laws on subversion, which used as a means to suppress political opponents, was revised
immediately (Pratiknya, Juoro & Samego, 1999; Singh, 2000). Despite his short-lived
presidency, Habibie did his best to implement the above, but time did not allow him to complete
his mission. However, he successfully established significant alterations to the political system,
including the abolishment of the azas tunggal (Laws of the Mass Organisation), the conduct of
the 1999 election, increased freedom of the press and upholding human rights, and the
reduction of the number of the military as political representatives, especially in the DPR.
Upon the abolishment of the azas tunggal policy, Indonesia witnessed the emergence of
hundreds of political parties, many of them were established along religious lines (Singh,
2000). Nevertheless, only 48 parties were qualified to participate in the 1999 election. The
classification of Islamic and non-Islamic political parties was not as easy as for the previous
12
political parties. Presently, the Islamic political parties are recognised from their basic
ideological foundation, name, and symbol. Thus, of the 48, only 19 are Islamic political parties
(Ananta, Nurvidya & Suryadinata, 2004).
Out of the 19 Islamic parties, only a few parties gained significant support in the 1999 election;
PPP, the long-established Islamic party, secured 11% of the votes. The Crescent and Star Party
(PBB- Partai Bulan Bintang), which was claimed as Masyumi’s successor, gained only 2%;
the Justice Party (PK- Partai Keadilan), which represented what was known as the LDK,
secured only 1.5 %, and the other Islamic parties received even less vote. Nevertheless, the
National Revivalism Party (PKB- Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa) and National Trust Party (PAN-
Partai Amanat Nasional) which were also known as the nationalist party though led by
prominent Muslim leaders secured 13% and 7% of the votes respectively. The rest of the votes
were accumulated by the two other New Order parties: Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI-P-
Partai Demokrasi Indonesia) under the leadership of Megawati which won the most votes with
35% and Golkar, which won 23% of the votes (Ananta, Nurvidya & Suryadinata, 2004).

In the latest election of 2004, the Islamic parties were defeated. It is, however, interesting to
note that the Justice and Welfare Party (PKS- Partai Keadilan Sejahtera), previously known as
PK, gained more votes compared to during the 1999 election. It is partly because of its elected
members of the house were perceived as being ‘clean’ by people. As a matter of fact, the rest
of the Islamic parties, except PPP, secured fewer votes and were, thus, unqualified to
participate in the next election. PKB and PAN secured more or less the same result as the 1999
election. Golkar won more votes than PDI-P. On the other hand, the new party called Democrat
Party (PD- Partai Demokrat) surprisingly secured more votes, partly due to its presidential
13
candidate, a charismatic general whom people admire for his intellect and determination. It

12 In the Old Order era, Islamic parties were based on Islam. It could be seen from its ideological and basic
foundation of the parties such as Masyumi, the NU, Persatuan Tarbiyah Islamiyah (PTI), and Partai Syarikat Islam
Indonesia (PSII). In the early New Order there were NU, PTI, PSII and Partai Muslimin Indonesia (PMI), which
later on fused in the United Development Party (PPP- Partai Persatuan Pembangunan). The basis of the respective
party was Islam except PPP which later on based on Pancasila and thus the Islamic political party did not exist
totally since early the 1980s.
13 For the very beginning this party selected Bambang Susilo Hudoyono as presidential candidate and then became
the elected president in 2004.

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