Crescent Star Party (Indonesia)

The party's origins go back to the banning of the Islamic Masyumi Party by Sukarno in 1960.^[7] After the ban, supporters and followers of the party established the Crescent Star Family (Keluarga Bulan Bintang) to continue to press for the implementation of Sharia law and Islamic teaching in Indonesia. Following the fall of Sukarno and the transition to the New Order in which Suharto came to power, members of the organization wanted to revive the Masyumi Party, but this was not allowed by the new regime. In the 1970s, in a meeting in Malang, a new party called Parmusi (Partai Muslimin Indonesia, Muslim Party of Indonesia) was formed. It came fourth in the 1971 legislative elections. In 1973, the party was forced to merge with other Islamic parties into the United Development Party. With the fall of Suharto in 1998, supporters of Masyumi decided to establish a new party. The original plan was to use Masyumi name again, but after consideration, they settled on the name "Crescent Star Party".^[7] The party's first leader was Yusril Ihza Mahendra, a lawyer and former speechwriter for President Suharto.^[8]

The party stood in the 1999 elections, winning 1.9% of the vote and 13 seats in the People's Representative Council. Yusril was appointed justice and law minister. In mid-2000 internal conflict broke out in the party over Yusril's acceptance of financial assistance from former president Jusuf Habibie. It ended with party member Hartono Mardjono establishing a rival Crescent Star Party. After losing a court case, Hartono then established he Indonesian Islamic Party (Partai Islam Indonesia), but this failed to qualify for the 2004 elections. In these elections, the Crescent Star Party won 2.6% of the popular vote and 11 seats. Yusril was later replaced by Malem Sambat Kaban.^[9][10] In the 2009 legislative election, the party won 1.8 percent of the votes, less than the 2.5 percent electoral threshold, meaning it lost all its seats in the People's Representative Council.^[11]

After losing its national parliament seats in the 2009 election, the party never regained its national prominence, only winning 1.46% of the national vote in the 2014 elections, 0.79% in 2019, and 0.32% in 2024, placing it 16th out of the 18 political parties participating in the 2024 elections.

The Crescent Star Party aims to realise an Islamic way of life. Its mission is to build a society and nation that is developed, highly independent, intelligent, just, and democratic, playing a role in fostering world peace based on the values of Islam.^[3]

• List of Islamic political parties