Hasyim prefers Mega to Wiranto

Hasyim prefers Mega to Wiranto

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta

After weeks of frantic searching for a running mate for the
presidential election, President Megawati Soekarnoputri of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) finally picked
Hasyim Muzadi of the Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim organization on
Thursday.

While her choice had been widely expected, critics were
nevertheless skeptical about the pair's chances in the July 5
election.

At least seven parties are eligible to put forward candidates
in the election. They have a week to register their presidential
and vice presidential lineups beginning Thursday.

Pointing to a lack of solid support from the NU, analyst
Azyumardi Azra said that Hasyim might not be able to bring a lot
of votes Megawati's way.

"It is doubtful that the pairing will fire up the voters as
there are many other NU leaders taking part in the presidential
race," Azyumardi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Besides Hasyim, he said, other NU figures such as former
senior minister Jusuf Kalla, former president Abdurrahman "Gus
Dur" Wahid's brother Solahuddin Wahid and the United Development
Party (PPP)'s chairman Hamzah Haz were also taking part in the
presidential race.

"Hasyim is the most unpopular of these, and I believe that
many NU votes also went to the Golkar Party. So it does not
really mean much to have Hasyim as your vice presidential
candidate," the Muslim scholar added.

Another Muslim scholar, Nurcholis "Cak Nur" Madjid, also
criticized Hasyim's decision, and asked him to resign from his
position in the NU to avoid a possible rift among the
organization's members.

Cak Nur, a classmate of Hasyim while studying at the famous
Gontor Islamic boarding school in the East Java town of Ponorogo,
said that Hasyim had failed to uphold the commitment to stay away
from practical politics made during the NU's historic national
meeting in Situbondo in the 1980s.

"The NU agreed to return to its khittah (principles) and stay
away from practical politics. I thought Hasyim -- I must stress
here that he is my friend -- would abide by the commitment, but I
was wrong," Cak Nur said.

"As chairman of the organization, Hasyim should not utilize
the NU as a political vehicle as it is not a political party. He
should resign from his position before declaring his readiness to
run in the election, otherwise he will tarnish the credibility of
the organization" he added.

Hasyim had also being courted by Golkar to team up with
presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto, but he turned down the
offer saying: "Thank you Golkar, but I cannot accept two offers."

His candidacy looks set to further split the NU as Gus Dur,
still the most influential NU leader, has refused to endorse
Hasyim, while some senior clerics have asked Hasyim to stay away
from politics.

The announcement was made with great fanfare on Thursday at
the Proclamation Monument in Central Jakarta, with statues of the
country's founding fathers, Soekarno and Hatta, featuring
prominently in the background.

"This is the beginning of the end of the division between
traditional Muslims and modernist Muslims. The getting together
of Megawati and myself is not meant just to establish a strong
government, but also ensure a strong civil society," Hasyim said
in his speech.

The PDI-P is a nationalist, secular party, while the NU is the
country's largest Muslim-based organization with 40 million
supporters.

Megawati expressed the hope that the pair could fulfill the
public's desire for good leadership following the election.

"We will officially register ourselves with the General
Elections Commission (KPU) and undergo our medical examinations
as required by law before entering the race," Mega said during
the announcement.

She also thanked current vice president Hamzah Haz for his
support for the choice of Hasyim as her running mate.

Political analyst Ikrar Nusa Bhakti from the Indonesian
Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said that the duo could attract a
significant vote in the upcoming election.

"Without being convinced that Hasyim would bring in the votes,
Megawati would not have selected him as her running mate," Ikrar
said.

Megawati and Hasyim were accompanied by family members during
the announcement and went straight to the East Java town of
Blitar to visit the grave of Megawati's father, the country's
first president, Soekarno. They are also slated to visit senior
NU clerics in Jombang, East Java, on Friday.

The event was attended by Cabinet ministers, foreign
ambassadors and representatives from non-governmental
organizations.