Islamismus in Indonesien: Der Erfolg der Gerechtigkeits- und Wohlfahrtspartei und seine möglichen Auswirkungen [Islamism in Indonesia: the Success of the Justice and Welfare Party and its Possible Impacts]

• Main Author: Matthias Heilmann
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: SEAS - Society for South-East Asian Studies 2008-01-01
• Series: ASEAS - Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies
• Online Access: http://www.seas.at/aseas/1_1/ASEAS_1_1_A3.pdf

The 2004 parliamentary elections in Indonesia delivered some striking results. Among these, the enormous success of the islamist Justice and Welfare Party (PKS) represents one of the most interesting developments of Indonesia‘s young democracy. Having increased their number of MPs by over 500 percent (from 7 to 45), the PKS is now considered to be a rising political power which is decidedly promoting an Islamic agenda. Now arousing public interest, the party has become an object of analysis by domestic and international observers, which come to an array of different conclusions and judgements about this apparently controversial party. The success of the PKS is based on its populistic political communication which aims at establishing the image of a moderate and pragmatic party of problem-solvers, and its social welfare programs. But this is only one view at the PKS, as it also appears as a cadre party of strict ideologists that are obviously borrowing their basic ideas from the Muslim Brothers. Thus, it is this Janus face that might encourage differing judgements about the PKS.