Cak Nur calls for opposition

JAKARTA: Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish "Cak Nur" Madjid called for the formation of an opposition party on Wednesday to monitor the new government after the election.

Nurcholish said the opposition group would ensure that the government did not violate public trust.

"It is important to have an opposition so that the government will refrain from producing policies that will hurt the public," he told a discussion here.

He realized, however, that most political parties would prefer to share power, and were thus reluctant to serve in opposition should they fail to win the election.

Nurcholish, who has made public his intention to run for the presidency, has yet to persuade any political party to nominate him in the July 5 direct presidential election.

Only parties or coalitions with at least 3 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives or 5 percent of total votes won in the legislative elections will be allowed to field candidates in the presidential election. --JP