Hamzah seeking hard-liners vote for 2004 elections

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The controversial visits made by Vice President Hamzah Haz to hard-line Muslim leaders have much to do with his effort to establish a new political bloc to support his presidential campaign in 2004, political observers said.

Arbi Sanit of the University of Indonesia said on Friday that Hamzah's move was based on the consideration that the 2004 election would still use the proportional system.

"His strategy would be far from effective if Indonesia adopted the district system. Hamzah takes advantage of his position as the Vice President to shield the hard-liners against the international pressure (to combat terrorism). Of course they will side with him," Arbi told The Jakarta Post.

He said that although hard-liners made up only 15 percent of Muslims in Indonesia, Hamzah would rather fight for a small but secure share of the vote than struggle to win over the larger number of moderates, who normally vote for secular parties.

Thus far, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and the PPP are the main parties that oppose the district system, and have only agreed to a direct presidential election.

The election laws are still being deliberated by the House of Representatives.

Hamzah, who also chairs the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), has aroused controversy by visiting detained Laskar Jihad commander Ja'far Umar Thalib and more recently Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, the leader of the Indonesian Mujahiddin Council (MMI), who is suspected of having links to the al-Qaeda network.

On Friday the Vice President played down the motives behind his visits.

"There's nothing special ... it was simply silaturohim (a visit from one Muslim to another)," Hamzah said.

During his trip to the Al Mukmin Islamic boarding school in Ngruki, Sukohardjo, which is run by Ba'asyir, Hamzah pledged to protect Muslim clerics suspected of having links to terrorists, offering himself for arrest instead should there be evidence that Indonesia was harboring terrorists.

On his decision to visit Ja'far at National Police Headquarters, the Vice President said he was merely proffering his sympathy to a fellow Muslim who was in trouble.

Prior to Hamzah's visit, Zainuddin M.Z., a noted Muslim cleric who chairs a PPP splinter group, also visited the Laskar Jihad commander.

Ja'far is detained for allegedly provoking sectarian violence in Maluku.

Hermawan Sulistyo of the Conflict and Peace Research Network said Hamzah's moves were clearly designed to build a political base in facing other Muslim-based parties.

His alliance with the hardliners, who are not warmly welcomed by other Muslim-based parties, would increase his bargaining position with the PPP's rivals.

"For example, it could be used as protection in facing Zainuddin. He could also seek help from these groups to fight for his agenda, while he does not need to get his hands dirty," Hermawan said.

Hamzah won the vice presidential post last year after the incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri was inaugurated as President replacing Abdurrahman Wahid, who was dismissed by the People's Consultative Assembly for incompetence.