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Viewing cable 08SURABAYA33, EASTERN INDONESIA: PROSPEROUS JUSTICE PARTY (PKS) TRIES TO

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08SURABAYA33 2008-03-10 07:14 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Surabaya
VZCZCXRO9957
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0033 0700714
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100714Z MAR 08
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0176
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0163
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0090
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0088
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0181
UNCLAS SURABAYA 000033 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRL ID
SUBJECT: EASTERN INDONESIA: PROSPEROUS JUSTICE PARTY (PKS) TRIES TO 
EXPAND BEYOND ITS ISLAMIC PARTY BRAND 
 
 
This Message is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please Protect 
Accordingly. 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: In the regions beyond Java, the Prosperous 
Justice Party (PKS) are focused on attracting new members beyond 
the Muslim students and professionals who makeup the party's 
backbone.  On the Hindu island of Bali and the Muslim-majority 
province of Gorontolo, local PKS leaders highlight the party's 
emphasis on public service and respect for local cultures as the 
party's primary attractions to voters.  The party also strives 
to promote local candidates who represent community interests 
rather than Jakarta-based cadres who are perceived as putting 
party first.  Regional party leaders are confident that PKS's 
focus on service will overcome suspicions about its Islamic 
party brand.  End Summary. 
 
Public Services Promote Party's Image 
--------------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) The Chairman of PKS Bali, Heri Sukarmeini, explained to 
visiting Surabaya Principal Officer what makes PKS different 
from other political parties: Established in 2002, the party's 
membership is young and has no ties to the old order; and PKS 
creates a new "paradigm" among political parties which brand 
themselves as "Islamic parties."  Heri admitted that Islamic 
culture and values dominated the party's organizational culture 
and that non-Muslim voters remained skeptical of PKS because of 
its strong image as an Islamic party.  He argued, however, that 
PKS's emphasis on public services regardless of religion or 
ethnicity was successfully challenging those images throughout 
Bali and Eastern Indonesia. 
 
3. (SBU)  PKS's emergency humanitarian response unit PKPU (Pos 
Keadilan Peduli Umat) has helped the party reach out to local 
communities.  Gorontalo's PKS Chairman Abdul Rahman Bahmid 
observed that PKS usually received more votes in areas where 
natural disasters or conflict had occurred because of PKPU's 
activities.  He explained that PKS made significant electoral 
gains in Jakarta after widespread flooding and in Maluku and 
North Maluku following inter-ethnic conflicts.  PKS Bali's Heri 
noted that a number of large companies were channeling their 
donations to aid the victims of natural disasters through PKPU 
because of its reliability.  He added that PKS's community-based 
programs supporting education, healthy mothers, and other 
services were also strengthening the party's image amongst local 
communities. 
 
Party Membership and Candidates 
----------------------------------- 
 
4. (SBU) As with most areas, PKS supporters in Bali are 
primarily private company professionals and Muslim university 
students who are recruited to the party through a student 
organization KAMMI (Kasatuan Aski Mahasiswa Muslim Indonesia) -- 
an acronym that matches the Indonesian word (kami) for "we" or 
"us." Heri observed that PKS Bali is getting increasing support 
from civil servants, fisherman, and farmers who have experienced 
PKS's community services.  Heri added that PKS is an "open" 
party and that non-Muslims could become party leaders, although 
few have done so.  The Chairman of PKS in Papua is one example. 
 
5. (SBU) Unlike the major Indonesian political parties, PKS has 
a reputation for promoting local party members as candidates 
rather than Jakarta-based cadres.  In Bali, PKS is planning to 
nominate a priest as its legislative candidate.  There are 
exceptions.  The PKS candidate in West Sumabawa, Nusa Tenggarra 
Barat (NTB), was a PKS cadre from Banten because PKS was 
relatively new in NTB and had yet to identify strong local 
candidates.  A small party, PKS is also forced into coalitions 
with the bigger political parties to nominate a candidate, and 
thus will support a "compromise" candidate. 
 
Respect for Local Cultures 
--------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) The Gorontolo PKS Chairman Abdul Rahman Bahid observed 
to visiting Pol-Econ Officer that the party's Islamic 
credentials did not guarantee support in Muslim-majority areas. 
Many in Gorontolo still perceive PKS as a closed and exclusive 
party that did not try to accommodate local traditions.  In an 
effort to overcome this perception, Gorontolo PKS plans to host 
a cultural appreciation week and present awards to local 
cultural leaders.  In Bali, Heri said PKS is well-respected and 
received because the Hindu community knows from experience that 
PKS supports local cultures. 
 
MCCLELLAND