Muhammadiyah urged to review its support for Amien's presidential bid

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Scholar Muslim Abdurrahman urged the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah on Thursday to review its decision to support Amien Rais's presidential bid, saying the move would tarnish the organization's image as a cultural movement.

"It's a political blunder. Sacrificing Muhammadiyah for political interests," Muslim, who chairs Muhammadiyah's worker, farmer and fishermen division, told The Jakarta Post.

He regretted that Muhammadiyah chairman Sjafii Maarif, a national figure who had earlier managed to lead the organization into a cultural movement along with other civil society elements, had drawn the religious organization into politics.

According to Muslim, Sjafii was "forced" by Amien, who formerly chaired Muhammadiyah, to make an official endorsement for his presidential candidacy.

"Pak Amien was there (in Yogyakarta) when the decision was made. There has been repeated pressure put on Sjafii to endorse Amien through meetings," said Muslim, who joined Muhammadiyah's plenary meeting in Yogyakarta on Tuesday.

After the plenary session on Tuesday, Sjafii announced his organization's official support for Amien and urged all Muhammadiyah members to choose the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) as their presidential candidate.

Another Muhammadiyah cadre, Hajriyanto Y. Thohari, also regretted the decision, urging the organization to spell out the criteria for a presidential candidate instead, rather than naming certain candidates.

"The decision is disturbing because Muhammadiyah members could be mobilized to vote based on sectarian reasons. It is undemocratic," Hajriyanto, who is also a legislator from Golkar Party, said on Wednesday.

While disagreeing that the endorsement would promote sectarian politics, political observer Daniel Sparringa said on Thursday that the endorsement would jeopardize the moderate and impartial character of the organization.

Syafii met Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid at the Muhammadiyah office in Menteng, Central Jakarta on Thursday to discuss many issues, including the endorsement of Amien's presidential candidacy.

"I respect Muhammadiyah's decision to nominate Amien Rais as a presidential candidate," Nurcholish, who once joined Golkar's presidential candidate selection, told reporters.

Sjafii insisted that in Muhammadiyah's view Amien was the only presidential candidate who had consistently struggled for reform.

He reiterated that the endorsement had nothing to do with PAN as Muhammadiyah members were free to choose any political party, but were urged to vote for Amien in his presidential bid.

The legislative election will be conducted on April 5 to choose members of the Regional Representatives Councils (DPD) and the House of Representatives while the presidential election will be held on July 5, with a possible runoff on September 20.

A total of 24 political parties will take part in the legislative election.