Campaign galvanized by anti-Mega edict
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The debate over whether Muslims should vote for a female candidate in the presidential election heated up on Saturday, after a Wiranto campaigner reiterated that such an act was against traditional syaria law.
In the East Java town of Pasuruan, a Nahdatul Ulama (NU)- National Awakening Party (PKB) stronghold, cleric Muhammad Subadar told a crowd of thousands to rule out voting for any woman candidate. The only women running for the position is incumbent president and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Subadar, who heads the Raudlatul Ulum Islamic boarding school, rejected other NU leaders' claims the country's largest Muslim organization had settled the issue in its 1997 congress.
"I'm ready to testify there was no decision reached during the congress to endorse a female leader. It remains a discourse," he said.
Earlier that day after meeting with Wiranto, Islamic boarding school cleric Abdullah Faqih told his students they should vote for the former general.
Golkar campaign team chief Slamet Effendy Yusuf said the party did not intend to focus on the gender issue, saying the opinions were the clerics' business.
On Thursday, some senior NU clerics from East Java issued an edict forbidding Muslims from voting for a female candidate.
In response, local members of the PDI-P in Surabaya shed their blood in a show of support for their leader. Supporter Ronny Aritonang said the act was a proof of their readiness to die for Megawati.
Ronny said an estimated 50,000 supporters of Megawati would also draw blood. "We strongly reject the edict and call on the public to ignore such an interest-laden statement," he said.
In Yogyakarta, Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung said the edict would not affect the Wiranto campaign.
"It has nothing to do with Golkar, it is the business of the clerics who issued it. It will neither favor nor hurt us," he said.
In Banda Aceh, Megawati's running mate, Hasyim Muzadi, started his campaign in the strife-torn province by holding an indoor meeting.
Hasyim said should he and his running mate win, they would strive for the implementation of syaria law in the province, saying it would contribute greatly to the speedy return of stability there.
In Cirebon, West Java, United Development Party candidate Hamzah Haz promised to bring former president Soeharto to court if he won the election.
"Pak Harto must be tried soon to give (the country) legal certainty. We should not let the case remain in limbo. If we fail to resolve the case now, I am afraid future generations will end up revisiting it," he said.
Hamzah said the court should decide whether the former autocrat was unfit to stand trial because of poor health.
In Samarinda, East Kalimantan, National Mandate Party aspirant Amien Rais told Mulawarman University students he would stick to non-violent means to resolve separatist conflicts.
"We will begin a dialog (with separatists) and avoid the use of force. Using force only leads to endless violence," he said.