PPP chairman supports MUI election appeal<\/p>\n
MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): The United Development Party
\n(PPP) on Friday threw its weight behind the Indonesian Council of
\nUlemas' call for Muslims to vote for Muslim-based parties in
\nMonday's polls.<\/p>\n
PPP chairman Hamzah Haz told reporters before a campaign here
\nthat he would follow suit in voicing the call, saying he
\nconsidered the ulemas' appeal an edict.<\/p>\n
\"That's what MUI is supposed to do, so that Muslims can
\nexercise their rights in a correct manner. I don't think it (the
\nappeal) is an extraordinary issue,\" Hamzah said.<\/p>\n
In a June 1 statement signed by its chairman Ali Yafie and
\nsecretary-general Nazri Adlani, the MUI called on Muslims not to
\nvote for non-Muslim legislative candidates. Ali said the message
\nserved as a guideline for Muslims to vote for the right people,
\nand was not aimed at sowing hatred between them and those of
\nother faiths.<\/p>\n
Controversy has raged over the message, with National
\nAwakening Party founder Abdurrahman Wahid and National Mandate
\nParty chairman Amien Rais, both known as Muslim leaders, taking
\nan opposing stance.<\/p>\n
Hamzah, who, as well as Abdurrahman, leads a party which
\nclaims to accommodate the interests of the Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim
\norganization, denied political motives were behind the MUI
\nappeal.<\/p>\n
\"The message is related to strategic issues Muslims will face
\nin the next five years, so they must be reminded,\" Hamzah said.<\/p>\n
PPP is one of at least 12 parties which adopt Islam as their
\nbasis.<\/p>\n
Hamzah agreed that parties should not exploit religious values
\nto gain political advantages, but said he would pursue any
\npolitical means to develop religions.<\/p>\n
\"It's common that political struggle in legislative bodies is
\naimed at setting guidelines for future policies concerning
\nreligious affairs,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hamzah reiterated his party's decision to ask for an edict
\nfrom ulemas for its selection of presidential candidates. The
\nformer minister of investment looks to win the party's support
\nfor his presidential bid unchallenged.<\/p>\n
In his final campaign, Hamzah was greeted by thousands of PPP
\nsupporters, who packed the Gunungsari square in West Lombok
\nregency near here.<\/p>\n
Separately, Crescent Star Party (PBB) chairman Yusril Ihza
\nMahendra dismissed Amien Rais' expressed fear that the MUI call
\nwould spark national disintegration and halt the reform movement.<\/p>\n
Speaking before his address to PBB supporters in Surakarta,
\nCentral Java, Yusril said polarization of parties into secular-
\nnationalist and Muslim groups was a sociological phenomenon that
\nhad existed in the predominantly Muslim country for decades.<\/p>\n
\"There is no doubt that politics in Indonesia has long been
\ncontested along two mainstream groupings. The problem is whether
\nthe groups can cooperate,\" Yusril said.<\/p>\n
He suggested that both groups avoid clashes by making
\ncompromises as happened in the early years after independence.
\n(39\/44)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-chairman-supports-mui-election-appeal-1447893297",
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