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WINNERS: Mr Syamsul Arifin (left), who won the North Sumatra governor's post, with running mate Gatot Pudjonugroho. -- PHOTO: THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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JAKARTA - ISLAMIC parties have stormed back onto the political scene in Indonesia, capturing a second province in the country's regional elections this week.
Fresh from a victory in West Java on Sunday, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) teamed up with two other Muslim parties to win the governor and deputy governor posts in North Sumatra province yesterday.
In doing so, the Muslim coalition trounced two powerhouse parties, Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P).
Analysts say the preliminary results in both provinces signal a change in voter behaviour and could be a harbinger of things to come in next year's legislative and presidential elections.
'The results will be a heavy blow to the two political giants - Golkar and PDI-P. It shows that their machinery in the province has failed,' said Mr Muhammad Qodari, executive director of the Jakarta-based think-tank Indo Barometer.
'This election sees the rise of the PKS for knocking out the two giants.'
In North Sumatra, the Regent of Langkat, Mr Syamsul Arifin, 56, and running mate Gatot Pudjonugroho, 46, garnered 28.7 per cent of the vote to win in a five-cornered fight.
Mr Syamsul is a former Golkar politician who switched to the United Development Party. He and PKS cadre Mr Gatot were also backed by another Muslim party, the Star Crescent Party.
They beat the incumbent team from PDI-P - retired army general Tri Tamtomo and economist Sahala Benny Pasaribu. The duo mustered only 21.9per cent of the vote.
Golkar fielded its own cadres - Mr Ali Umri, 42, the mayor of Binjai, and running mate Maratua Simanjuntak, 60 - but managed to secure only 16.9per cent of the vote.
The fourth team, comprising local politicians Abdul Wahab Dalimunthe and Raden Syafi'i, secured 16.81per cent.
It was backed by the Democrat Party of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the National Mandate Party and the Reformed Star Party.
The fifth team - Pematang Siantar Mayor Robert Edison Siahaan and Mr Suherdi, chairman of the North Sumatra-born Javanese Descent Association (Pujakesuma) - was backed by the National Awakening Party, the Christian-based Prosperous Peace Party and the Prosperous Democratic Labour Party.
It finished last with 15.46 per cent.
Golkar executive Priyo Budi Santoso was stunned by the results, which will be announced officially next week, because North Sumatra was a party stronghold.
'We are shocked by the election result because it came almost at the same time as the shocking result in West Java,' he said.
Mr Priyo, who is Golkar faction leader in Parliament, said the defeat will spur the party to review its strategy and its method of choosing candidates.
The population of North Sumatra province is divided almost equally between Christians and Muslims from various ethnic groups.
It is dominated by Bataks, but migrant communities include Malays, Javanese, Acehnese, Minangkabau and Chinese.
During the week-long campaign, the candidates tried to woo voters in the province by appealing to their religious and ethnic affiliations.
PKS legislator Zulkieflimansyah summed up the reasons for his party's triumph.
'Our party machinery worked very hard on the ground to win over voters, both Muslims and non-Muslims,' he said.
In the West Java election, the PKS also trounced Golkar, PDI-P and the Democrat Party.
Those results and yesterday's polls are expected to boost the Islamist party's chances in next year's elections.
Analysts say the PKS is still a political force despite the bleak forecast for the group's future by some think-tanks in their recent surveys of Islamic parties.
The party has remained consistent in its stand on good governance and graft. Although it started as an Islamic movement on university campuses in the 1980s, it has not emphasised the adoption of syariah law.
salim@sph.com.sg
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