Many Muslims ignore party lines<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta<\/p>\n
How did members of Islamic-based parties and organizations vote
\non election day? A survey revealed on Wednesday suggested that
\nabout 57 percent of respondents who were members of the
\nProsperous Justice Party (PKS) toed the party line and voted for
\nAmien Rais, while 24 percent said they went for Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono.<\/p>\n
The result is in stark contrast with the earlier tug-of-war in
\nPKS ahead of voting day on July 5, in which party officials were
\ntorn between Amien and Wiranto.<\/p>\n
From those PKS members who participated in the survey by the
\nInstitute for Social and Economic Research and Education (LP3ES)
\nand the United States-based National Democratic Institute (NDI),
\nit turned out that only 9 percent said they voted for Wiranto.<\/p>\n
Of respondents who were members of Nahdlatul Ulama, the
\nlargest share, but just 33 percent, said they voted for Wiranto,
\nin large part due to the endorsement by the National Awakening
\nParty (PKB), which is closely associated with NU; while 32
\npercent said they voted for Susilo.<\/p>\n
From respondents who are members of Muhammadiyah, the second
\nlargest Muslim organization after NU, the largest number of
\nrespondents -- but again, only 54 percent -- followed their
\nleaders' endorsement of Amien while 21 percent voted for Susilo.<\/p>\n
These were among the findings of a survey which questioned
\n4,511 respondents across the country on election day.<\/p>\n
The five pairs running in the presidential election were all
\nvying for the Muslim vote, who make up more than 80 percent of
\neligible voters. NU and Muhammadiyah claim a combined figure of
\n70 million members.<\/p>\n
Gen. (ret) Wiranto was counting on votes from members of NU
\nand PKB when he took on NU cleric Solahuddin Wahid as his running
\nmate. But the survey suggested that while most respondents who
\nwere PKB members voted for Wiranto, they made up just 49 percent
\nwhile 28 percent said they voted for Gen. (ret) Susilo.<\/p>\n
LP3ES researcher Entjeng Sobirin said that the findings
\nsuggested that the candidates expected to compete in the runoff
\nin September (with provisional tallies showing Susilo, 34
\npercent, and Megawati Soekarnoputri 26 percent) would have
\ndifficulty gaining much by getting endorsements from the also
\nrans' leaders.<\/p>\n
\"Now politicians can no longer claim that they have the
\nsupport from voters which they will exchange for seats, as the
\nsupport is very liquid and unpredictable ..\" he said.<\/p>\n
The survey somewhat confirmed various polls before election
\nday, which predicted that Susilo, who consistently led by more
\nthan 30 percent, had support from a wide range of people who
\nvoted for parties other than those which nominated him as the
\npresidential candidate. In the April legislative election, his
\nDemocratic Party garnered approximately 8 percent of votes.<\/p>\n
While 56 percent of respondents from Golkar party voted in
\nline with the party's nomination of Wiranto, 24 percent said they
\nhad voted for Susilo, the former security minister.<\/p>\n
Followers of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-
\nP) were comparatively more loyal to their party line, with 74
\npercent saying they voted for the party leader, the incumbent
\nPresident Megawati.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/many-muslims-ignore-party-lines-1447893297",
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