SBY coalition faces growing fragility

SBY coalition faces growing fragility
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 05/27/2009 10:30 AM | Headlines
Voters may well be scratching their heads over the viability of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's coalition bloc after some surprising events unfolded in the past few days.

Initially, SBY's Democratic Party (PD) seemed to have forged a strong coalition, with four Islamic based parties – the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP) — offering support for his re-election bid in the July presidential election.
On Sunday however, the public watched as the flags of PAN and PPP were waved during the presidential candidacy declaration of SBY’s rival – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and her running mate Prabowo Subianto – at the Bantargebang dump in Bekasi.
One of PAN’s executives, Dradjad Wibowo, has also been accused of spending more time with Golkar Party presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla and running mate Wiranto from the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) than with SBY and running mate former Bank Indonesia governor Boediono, the PD candidates.
Then on Monday, PKS deputy secretary-general Zukieflimansyah said that despite his party elite remaining solidly behind SBY, their grassroots constituents may vote for Kalla and Wiranto instead because their wives have a more “Islamic” way of dressing.
Both spouses wear the headdress, known as the jilbab, daily.
On Tuesday, an unexpected event at the House of Representatives plenary session added to the coalition confusion.
Several parties, already officially aligned with the SBY coalition, spearheaded Tuesday's push by the House to scrutinize the government over the election voter list fiasco, which marred the April legislative elections.
Around 40 million eligible voters were reportedly left off the electoral roll and denied the right to cast a ballot, bringing the legitimacy of PD's election victory into disrepute.
PD rejected the House endorsement for an inquiry, but its only coalition partner to follow suit was the PKS.
Following the meeting, PD chairman at the House Syarif Hasan said he was very disappointed with the apparent disloyalty shown by the other coalition partners.
“I am very disappointed with PAN, PKB and PPP. Their legislators need to understand that a coalition can only work if all elements involved in it are fully committed. All I can say right now is that I will report to SBY directly regarding the situation that had taken place today,” he said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Head of the PPP at the House, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, denied accusations that his party was disloyal to PD by voting for the inquiry.
“It serves as a gateway to ensure better general elections in the future.”
Although concerned, Syarif said he believed the other parties in the coalition would respect the agreement and the PD political bloc.
“The official coalition agreement is barely a week old. It is not surprising some party constituents are not familiar with the stances.”
Syarif said the argument that the jilbab was the only proper way for Muslim women to express modesty was “debatable”.
“PD is a party based on the ideologies of nationalism and religion. During our daily activities, we like to use a ‘nationalistic’ dress code, but during special religious occasions, we will also use the proper religious dress code,” he said.
“So, it is not necessary for Bu Ani [Mrs. Yudhoyono] to start wearing a jilbab daily,” he added.
However, head of the PKS at the House, Mahfudz Siddiq, said SBY encouraging his wife to wear the jilbab, similar to the wives of Kalla and Wiranto, may not be such a bad idea. (hdt)