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.