Islamic parties in stiff competition

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.