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.