Many Muslims ignore party lines
Many Muslims ignore party lines
M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta
How did members of Islamic-based parties and organizations vote
on election day? A survey revealed on Wednesday suggested that
about 57 percent of respondents who were members of the
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) toed the party line and voted for
Amien Rais, while 24 percent said they went for Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono.
The result is in stark contrast with the earlier tug-of-war in
PKS ahead of voting day on July 5, in which party officials were
torn between Amien and Wiranto.
From those PKS members who participated in the survey by the
Institute for Social and Economic Research and Education (LP3ES)
and the United States-based National Democratic Institute (NDI),
it turned out that only 9 percent said they voted for Wiranto.
Of respondents who were members of Nahdlatul Ulama, the
largest share, but just 33 percent, said they voted for Wiranto,
in large part due to the endorsement by the National Awakening
Party (PKB), which is closely associated with NU; while 32
percent said they voted for Susilo.
From respondents who are members of Muhammadiyah, the second
largest Muslim organization after NU, the largest number of
respondents -- but again, only 54 percent -- followed their
leaders' endorsement of Amien while 21 percent voted for Susilo.
These were among the findings of a survey which questioned
4,511 respondents across the country on election day.
The five pairs running in the presidential election were all
vying for the Muslim vote, who make up more than 80 percent of
eligible voters. NU and Muhammadiyah claim a combined figure of
70 million members.
Gen. (ret) Wiranto was counting on votes from members of NU
and PKB when he took on NU cleric Solahuddin Wahid as his running
mate. But the survey suggested that while most respondents who
were PKB members voted for Wiranto, they made up just 49 percent
while 28 percent said they voted for Gen. (ret) Susilo.
LP3ES researcher Entjeng Sobirin said that the findings
suggested that the candidates expected to compete in the runoff
in September (with provisional tallies showing Susilo, 34
percent, and Megawati Soekarnoputri 26 percent) would have
difficulty gaining much by getting endorsements from the also
rans' leaders.
"Now politicians can no longer claim that they have the
support from voters which they will exchange for seats, as the
support is very liquid and unpredictable .." he said.
The survey somewhat confirmed various polls before election
day, which predicted that Susilo, who consistently led by more
than 30 percent, had support from a wide range of people who
voted for parties other than those which nominated him as the
presidential candidate. In the April legislative election, his
Democratic Party garnered approximately 8 percent of votes.
While 56 percent of respondents from Golkar party voted in
line with the party's nomination of Wiranto, 24 percent said they
had voted for Susilo, the former security minister.
Followers of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-
P) were comparatively more loyal to their party line, with 74
percent saying they voted for the party leader, the incumbent
President Megawati.