Muslim parties' pact helps potential voters

Muslim parties' pact helps potential voters

YOGYAKARTA (JP): A deal among Muslim parties on the allocation
of extra votes, which was announced Sunday, has a more
demonstrative effect on Muslim voters ahead of the June 7 general
election rather than substantive, a political lecturer here has
said.

"The agreement among the parties is also demonstrative to the
Indonesian Military, which is of the opinion that civilians
cannot unite," Mochtar Masoed of the Gadjah Mada University told
The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Eight Muslim parties announced Sunday a joint communique
containing a deal to allocate extra votes among them. The
communique was dated Friday and would enable some parties to
receive leftover votes from others to enable them gain extra
legislative seats.

The eight parties are the Justice Party (PK), the United
Development Party (PPP), the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the
Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU), the Nahdlatul Ummat Party
(PNU), the Islamic Community Party (PUI), the Indonesian Masyumi
Islamic Political Party (PPIM), and the Indonesian Syarikat Islam
Party - 1905 (PSII-1905). Most are not among the parties
predicted to have a chance of winning seats.

Masoed said the agreement was, nevertheless, positive,
although details will only follow ballot counting.

"I am optimistic that the agreement can be realized due to
ideological similarity among the parties," he said.

"Potential voters of each of the eight parties would be even
more confident of their choice," he said. The agreement would
also help first-time voters decide on which Muslim party to vote
for, he said.

"The agreement gives potential voters of Muslim parties the
confidence that he or she can choose any one of the eight Muslim
parties because his or her vote would not be wasted," he said.

The agreement is only an initial step "which has more
significance to voters who are still confused as to which of
Muslim parties to vote for," he added.

PPIM chairman Abdullah Hehamahua told Antara that a reason for
the delay of the agreement announcement, planned Friday, was that
his party rejected suggestions that extra votes be given to
parties in the deal which gained the most votes.

"That would only be serving group interest," Abdullah said.
However the suggestion was finally agreed to but the agency did
not elaborate. He said such suggestions among others came from
the PPP and the PBB.

In response to whether the coalition would pose much less
votes to two other parties relying on wide support to Muslims --
the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party
(PKB), Masoed said the two parties were "too strong" to justify
such speculation.

Both parties claim to be inclusive but their executives have
admitted they rely on the votes of followers of Muhammadiyah, a
Muslim organization formerly led by PAN chairman Amien Rais, and
Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Muslim organization led by PKB
founder Abdurrahman Wahid. PAN has said it was not joining in the
deal among the Muslim parties because PAN was an "open party".

Masoed added that the agreement between the eight Muslim
parties would make easier the ties among "anti-status quo forces"
because there would likely be similar agreements among "pro-
status quo" parties.

The agreement followed recent joint communiques between
parties considered "reformist". The first involved PAN, PKB and
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle. The second
communique was among PAN, the Justice Party (PK) and the PPP.

Observers have noted the coalition was only a tactical move in
the campaign season, saying it was fragile given the differences
between party leaders. (44/anr)