Muhammadiyah tries to avoid politics
JAKARTA (JP): Barely a month away from its 43rd congress, Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's reformist Moslem organization, is already having to deflect attempts to drag it into politics.
Leaders of the 83-year old organization passionately vowed yesterday to withstand "external pressures" and elements of any political organization wishing to intrude upon its July congress in Banda Aceh.
"We have a good filter," Syafii Maarif, one of the organization's deputy chairmen, told The Jakarta Post. "Unity in this organization is very strong so we'll be able to rebuff those attempts."
He acknowledged that there had been efforts from various parties to intervene in the organization's internal affairs, but expressed confidence that it would remain independent.
He said he had taken particular offense, however, at comments made by some institutions, including the Armed Forces (ABRI), regarding the upcoming Muhammadiyah elections.
"That statement was out of line," Syafii said of a statement by ABRI that it intended to keep its hands off the organization. "What right has ABRI to supply or nominate anybody at all?"
ABRI spokesman Brig. Gen. Suwarno Adiwijoyo had told reporters, who had asked him whether ABRI supported any figure for chairmanship, that ABRI would not intervene in the affairs of other organizations.
"It's all up to the congress," he had said, adding that he only hoped the event would proceed on the basis of the "spirit of unity" and that the majority voice in the organization would accommodate the minority as well.
Muhammadiyah chairman Amien Rais has frequently acknowledged that, although the organization is committed to staying out of politics, its 28 million supporters have turned it into a potential power base.
Interests
During the past several weeks, there have been unsubstantiated reports that the upcoming congress of Muhammadiyah would be turned by some political institutions into a competition arena for their own interests.
The ruling political grouping, Golkar, and the influential Indonesian Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) have been said to be interested in staking claims in the congress, given the fact that some of Muhammadiyah's leaders are also members of those organizations. Amien, for instance, is a leading member of the ICMI.
Golkar chairman Harmoko, however, immediately declared that the organization would not intervene in Muhammadiyah's internal affairs, even though many members of the political entity had a Muhammadiyah background.
Amien, whose chair will be up for grabs at the congress, played down yesterday the external pressures reportedly being exerted on the election process.
"Muhammadiyah has yet to find any signs of that external intervention, neither has it received any explicit or implicit 'message' from any party, be it from the political superstructure or from non-government organizations," he said.
Amien was addressing a press conference and was accompanied by most of the members of the Muhammadiyah executive board, including Sutrisno Muchdam, Rusjdi Hamka, A. Watik Pratiknya, and senior leader Prodjokoesoemo.
The leaders also expressed doubt that the congress, particularly the elections to the chairmanship, would be marked by conflict among leading members.
"There have been many misleading reports (about the congress)," Amien said.
Syafii said he hoped that, even if such conflicts occurred, the leaders would "return to the guidance of the Koran and Prophet Muhammad's traditions" and resolve the difficulties among themselves.
"This is an old organization, older even than the country's independence," he said confidently.
According to press reports, the potential for conflicts in the leadership comes from the diversity of its members. There are reportedly a group of "intellectuals", for instance, standing opposite a group of "lobbyists".
Amien denied the reports. He had once said that there were people dissatisfied with his leadership, but has since vowed to try to iron out differences and accommodate as many parties as possible.
Amien, who was the first to bring up the subject of the presidential succession during a Muhammadiyah conference two years ago, said the July congress would not discuss the issue.
"Once is enough, twice would be once too many," he said, pointing out that numerous organizations had since taken up the issue of the succession in their discussions and familiarized the public with the notion.
He said the decision to refrain from discussing the succession question would help Muhammadiyah maintain its non-political stance. "When we first discussed it, we did so from the point of view of morality and ethics, not with a political approach," he said.
The five-day congress, which is expected to cost over Rp 2.6 billion (approximately US$ 1.2 million), will be opened by President Soeharto on July 6. Some 3,600 leading members from all over Indonesia are scheduled to attend.
A preliminary meeting, to be held from July 2 until July 4, will elect 39 of the registered 138 prospective nominees for the chairmanship. The congress proper will later elect 13 names as new members of the executive board for the next five year period. (swe)