The Jakarta Post, July 29, 2002
PPP will fight for sharia law, Hamzah says
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In a move apparently made to maintain the support of its supporters, United
Development Party (PPP) Chairman Hamzah Haz said the party would continue to
fight for the inclusion of sharia law in future amendments to the 1945 Constitution.
Speaking to journalists after the closing ceremony of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
Congress on Sunday, Hamzah said as a Muslim-based party, the PPP would put its
efforts toward imposing sharia law in Indonesia.
"For the PPP, sharia law will always be demanded," Hamzah, also the vice president
of Indonesia, said.
He was quick to add that the fight would not be to the last drop of blood, saying that
the party preferred to lobby for its inclusion in any amendments to the 1945
Constitution, rather than direct legislative voting.
He said if support for the inclusion was scant then there was no need to conduct walk
outs or voting for the inclusion of the article.
"We choose to put forward democracy, but we'll keep on fighting for sharia law."
Amendments to Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution on religion is one of the
contentious issues expected to be debated during the upcoming People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) Annual Session.
Two Muslim-based political parties -- the PPP and the Crescent Star Party (PBB) --
have demanded the inclusion of a phrase in the Jakarta Chapter saying: "the
obligation for Muslims to implement Sharia Law".
The Jakarta Chapter is the initial form of the state ideology of Pancasila and was
inserted in the 1945 Constitution preamble and Article 29, both without mentioning the
phrase.
The scrapping of those words was conducted by the country's founding fathers in
observance of Indonesia's diversity.
Most parties have rejected the inclusion, saying that it was not necessary to change
the article as it would disrupt the lives of the people.
The latest caucus, consisting of several major parties, including Golkar and the
National Awakening Party (PKB) have also said Article 29 will not be amended.
It was reported that Hamzah had actually given up the idea of sharia law in exchange
for his position as vice president last year.
The deal was made with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) chaired by President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Earlier, NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi said there was no need to amend the article and
called on NU members active in several political parties to ensure that the article
stayed as it was.
Meanwhile, PBB chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra has also said that his party would
continue to fight for the inclusion of sharia law in the upcoming Annual Session,
slated to begin on Aug. 1.
"We will continue with the fight although we will be the only party maintaining the
stance (for the inclusion of the phrase)."
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