ISLAM AND DEMOCRATIZATION IN INDONESIA: STUDY ON THE POLITICAL ATTITUDES OF THE UNITED DEVELOPMENT PARTY (PPP) TOWARDS EXECUTIVE POWER IN THE ERA OF REFORMATION (1998 - 2003)

In the refonn-era, a democratization has occurred in Indonesia which has been long ruled by an authoritarian regime during the New Order. The political process involves a variety of groups struggling for power and for and against democracy and other goals. The United Development Party (PPP) have asserted strong commitment to struggle for democracy and in the same time, the PPP asserts to struggle for Islamic values in the state based upon Pancasila. Political party has close relation with power that needs to be executed democratically and it requires to be controlled. During the New Order the PPP was critical toward power, but at present, what the political attitudes of the PPP towards executive power are and what influence of Islamic values toward the political attitudes of the PPP are. In the refonn-era the PPP appears to choose some cooperative, critical and confrontational attitudes toward power (the executive). During 1998 - 2003, the PPP engages in three administrations (Habibie, Abdurrahrnan Wahid, and Megawati) either as vice president or ministers. Nevertheless, the PPP does not forget to respond some issues on executing of power, the executive possesses. The PPP's responses can be shaped as urges, suggestion, warnings, recommendations, disagreements, rejections and threat, and supports, appreciation, expectations. Regarding political, legal, economic, religious and socio-cultural, and security problems which become the executive's authority to handle, the PPP also speaks out and launches some statements for the government through parliamentary meetings, internal meetings and individual cadre. However, those PPP's attitudes do not violate values of which Islam is taken as party's fundamental basis. In contrast, the PPP ever spoke out against female as president, but the PPP finally supports Megawati as president and Hamzah Haz as her vice. This often emerges only at certain political moment, like by the general election. Therefore the PPP sometimes seems to speak out Islamic values as slogan and as political behavior. Thus, in one hand, the PPP truly contributes to the process of democratization in Indonesia. The PPP submits some ideas of Reformasi in the DPRIMPR sessions. In other hand, the PPP also performs conservative attitudes on behalf of Islam which those sometime threat the process. Nevertheless, those are carried out as well as democratic procedure should be