KPU selects 15 Muslim organizations

JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) named 15 Islamic organizations on Thursday to represent the Muslim community in the Interest Groups faction of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). Each would be given one seat in the 700-seat Assembly.

The commission also named one organization each for the Hindu, Catholic and Protestant communities. It would still discuss where to allocate the remaining seats in the 65-seat faction.

Three of the 15 approved Islamic organizations had previously failed a preliminary assessment conducted by the commission's so- called Team of 15. They were the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the Muhammadiyah and the Corps of Alumnae of the Islamic Student Association (KAHMI).

The 12 other Islamic organizations selected by the commission to represent the Muslim community were: the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), the Islamic Propagation Contact Forum (BKMT), the Islamic Women's Association, the Ittihadul Muballighin, the Indonesian Islamic Propagation Council (DDII), the Al Jami'atul Washliyah, the Al Irsyad Al Islamiyah, the Matha'ul Anwar, the Al Ittihadiyah, the Islamic Believers' and Ulemas' Deliberation Forum, the Hidayatullah and the Persis.

Following the plenary session on Thursday, KPU chairman Rudini said at a news conference the NU and Muhammadiyah had been selected because both are the largest Islamic mass organizations in Indonesia.

Rudini said that NU and Muhammadiyah had no affiliation to any political party as alleged by the Team of 15.

Meanwhile, KAHMI was selected because it had focused its activities on social and religious development down to the rural areas, rather than intellectual pursuit with political nuances.

Other religious organizations the commission chose to represent their respective community were the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI) for Catholics and the Parisadha Hindu Dharma Indonesia for Hindus.

The Protestant community would be represented by two associations, namely the Communion of Indonesian Churches (PGI) and either the Pentecostal Churches Association (PGPI) or the Indonesian Bible Society (PII).

No agreement had yet been reached on which organization would represent the Buddhist community. The eventual choice would be either the Indonesian Buddhayana Association (MRI), the Walubi or another association. (rms)