KPU selects 15 Muslim organizations

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)