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)