Islamic parties in stiff competition
By Ainur R. Sophiaan
SURABAYA (JP): Before President B.J. Habibie and 2,000 graduates of Tebuireng Pesantren (boarding school) in Jombang recently, Muslim politician K.H. Yusuf Hasyim lashed out at leaders of Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic organization (NU) for playing favoritism.
"They employ politics of division," he said. "They treat one group like a crown prince, and another like an unwanted child. Now if these two groups meet, with the psychological burden they have had to bear, there are bound to be conflicts."
Though no names were mentioned at the meeting attended by some politicians who became increasingly uncomfortable, it was mostly understood that Yusuf was referring to Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Abdurrahman Wahid.
Abdurrahman, or Gus Dur as he is more widely known, is also Yusuf's nephew. He had repeatedly and openly favored National Awakening Party (PKB) over several other parties whose base were also NU followers.
"I am reminding all that the clashes in Jepara should not occur again in other places," Yusuf told The Jakarta Post.
In a recent speech in Jepara, Central Java, Abdurrahman likened Nahdlatul Ulama with a chicken and PKB the egg that it laid, while the other NU-based parties as chicken droppings.
Yusuf, who helped found the Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU), insisted the favoritism behind clashes was between supporters of PKB and those of the United Development Party (PPP).
In some cases, the clashes were bloody and fatal, including the one in Dongos village in Central Java where four were killed and dozens were injured.
"What's ironic is the two warring factions in the clashes were all members of Nahdlatul Ulama," he said.
Yusuf alleged that violations of various election rules had been committed by certain NU leaders which included using money and religious decrees, fatwa, to browbeat members into supporting PKB.
Also in Jombang, another influential ulema, K.H. As'ad Umar of the Darul Ulum Pesantren established last month the Council for the Empowerment of Indonesian Pesantren which involves 1,200 Islamic boarding schools across Java and Madura.
As'ad, a long-time supporter of Golkar, said he wished to expand the association to areas outside of Java. What's interesting is that Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung officiated the association, leading to the perception that the new organization was meant to challenge the earlier group of Rabithah Maahid Islamiyah -- an association of Nahdlatul Ulama pesantren whose members supported PKB.
Among the new association's programs is the extension of soft loans from the government to members for the amount of Rp 50 million each. As'ad said the fund is to be used to develop the school, its cooperatives or other income-generating enterprises to help the school.
As of now, up to 300 schools have received the money. When suggested the program constituted "money politics," As'ad, who is also a House of Representatives member, said: "That money is for the development of religious bodies, that's all. What's forbidden is bribery."
Another prominent player in the competition for support of 820,000 eligible voters in the regency of 11,102,400 people, is the People's Sovereignty Party (PRD).
Its placards and posters are plastered over various spots around Tebuireng, Darul Ulum, Denanyar, Tambakberas boarding schools as the Darul Ulum University, many of whose students are cadres of the PRD.
At stake are 3 House and 41 provincial legislative seats, and the 32 parties registered there are trying their best to grab them. The province itself has been allocated 61 seats at the House.
It is clear most of the parties in East Java -- where 21.3 million of its 34.5 million populace are eligible to vote this year -- have been making use of kyai (religious cleric who usually manage the boarding schools) and their charisma. Chairman of United Development Party (PPP) provincial chapter K.H. Syumli Sadli confirmed this.
Sadli, who is also an elder of Nahdlatul Ulama, sets a target of 20 percent of the votes which his party hopes to reach with the help of the kyais. Among the most prominent cleric is K.H. Alawy Muhammad from Nipah boarding school in Sampang, Madura.
"We are still using 'politics of pesantren. We can't just ignore (the power) of the kyais who manage thousands of pesantren," he said.
A number of other parties also compete for the Muslim constituents here, including the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) which has won the support of K.H. Nadjih Ahyat of the Maskumambang school.
Separately, the National Mandate Party (PAN) has solicited the support of K.H. Luthfi Ahmad, who is known for his fight for farmers in Jenggawah, in a land dispute with a state-owned plantation company in 1995.
In addition, the Justice Party (PK) has won the support of K.H. Hud Abdullah Musa who leads the Persis pesantren in Bangil in Pasuruan, while the PKU has joined forces with the Nahdlatul Ummat Party (PNU) and the Suni Party in campaigning for the support of ulemas who detested Abdurrahman's leadership.
Hijacking
The competition for Muslim clerics' support grows tougher by each day and some parties have resorted to "hijacking." In Probolinggo regency where some important Islamic boarding schools are located, for instance, it was reported recently that five PKB figures have jumped ship to Golkar. They are Ali Ridho, Abu Hasan, Muhlis, Sukardi and Tauhid.
Out of the five, only Abu Hasan denied abandoning PKB for Golkar. "That's an allegation cooked up by Golkar to deflate PKB," he insisted, claiming Golkar offered him money which he refused.
Muhammad Asfar, a political lecturer at the Airlangga University's School of Social and Political Sciences, explained that geopolitically, East Java has three major political bases created from the 1992 elections.
The first is a Golkar stronghold in the area that is called mataraman, named after the ancient kingdom of Mataram, which covers Kediri, Nganjuk, Tulungagung, Magetan, Madiun, Ngawi, Ponorogo and Pacitan regencies.
The second is a PPP base, known as the horseshoe area, which covers Sumenep, Pamekasan, Sampang, Bangkalan, Pasuruan, Probolinggo, Lumajang and Banyuwangi regencies.
The third is an urban area which includes Surabaya, Malang and several mataraman cities which has become the stronghold of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).
The toughest competition, however, occurred in the horseshoe area because it's the location of the largest portion of East Java's 5,000 pesantren. This area is the "sweet cake" and is coveted by National Awakening Party, United Development Party, Nahdlatul Ummat Party, Suni Party and Ummat Awakening Party (PKU), whose followers are also mainly those of Nahdlatul Ulama organization (NU).
Provincial police chief Maj. Gen. M. Dayat agreed there is a large potential for conflicts in the province.
Head of the Provincial Elections Committee Bisri A. Djalil told The Jakarta Post one of the ways to prevent clashes was for the committee to arrange campaign scheduling so no major parties collide on the streets.
The chairman of PAN provincial chapter, K.H. Abdurrahman Noer, said his party decided to concentrate its campaigning in areas where competition for Muslim supporters were less intensive.
"We don't want to enter areas where the lanes are too busy," he said. The decision then caused PAN to compete more with Golkar and PDI Perjuangan, as well as PBB which has been targeting the votes of Muhammadiyah and Masyumi constituents.