NU issues paradoxical runoff tips
NU issues paradoxical runoff tips
Indra Harsaputra and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Surabaya/Jakarta
As the final round of the presidential election draws near,
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) clerics have issued conflicting
recommendations to woo support from voters grouped in the
country's largest Muslim organization.
A few weeks after a number of clerics, who run Islamic
boarding schools in Pasuruan, East Java, issued a statement
against female leaders, on Sunday NU clerics who met in Lirboyo
boarding school in Malang, East Java, called on NU supporters not
to vote for a candidate with a military background.
The female leader refers to Megawati Soekarnoputri, the
incumbent president, who will face her former chief security
minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a retired Army general, in the
Sept. 20 runoff.
Lirboyo boarding school leader Idris Marzuki announced his own
election "guidelines", which included an instruction for Muslim
voters to shun military candidates. Marzuki's statement was
issued shortly after a series of meetings with Megawati's running
mate Hasyim Muzadi, who was the NU chairman before getting tabbed
to run with Megawati.
"The recommendation will counter the move by Raudatul Ulum
boarding school leaders (in Pasuruan), who forbade Muslims from
choosing a woman as president," Idris said.
The antimilitary recommendation was signed by dozens of
clerics from various Muslim boarding schools across East Java.
They also expressed full support for Megawati and Hasyim.
Populous East Java, the stronghold of NU, will be one of the
most hotly contested areas, as there are more than 25 million
registered voters -- one-sixth of the nation's electorate.
Shortly before the first round in July, a number of clerics,
including influential leader from Langitan boarding school,
Abdullah Faqih, recommended that NU followers vote for the Golkar
Party's presidential candidate Wiranto and his running mate NU
figure Solahuddin Wahid, in addition to an order for Muslim
voters not to vote for a woman.
Susilo and his running mate Jusuf Kalla, garnered the highest
number of votes in the July poll in East Java, followed by the
Megawati-Hasyim ticket and the Wiranto-Solahuddin pairing.
On Sunday, Hasyim attended a reunion at the Lirboyo boarding
school and met thousands of students. Susilo is slated to visit
Pasuruan on Monday.
Also attending Sunday's meeting in Lirboyo were Army Chief of
Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu and Minister of Religious Affairs
Said Agiel Munawar.
The two presidential candidates, meanwhile, proceeded with
their busy schedules over the weekend, with Megawati visiting an
influential NU cleric in Tasikmalaya, West Java, and Susilo
flying for Singapore to visit ailing Muslim scholar Nurcholish
Madjid.
Megawati visited Suryalaya boarding school in Tasikmalaya
along with Golkar Party leader Akbar Tandjung and Pramono Anung
Wibowo, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P)
deputy secretary-general.
"I'm only here for a friendly visit," Megawati explained to
the boarding school's headmaster Abah Anom.
Abah Anom also said a prayer for Megawati's success, but
refused to confirm that the prayer was an expression of support.
Earlier on Saturday, Megawati and Hasyim visited the grave of
her father, founding president Sukarno in Blitar, East Java.
Susilo went to Singapore on Sunday to visit Nurcholish, who
has been getting treatment there for almost a month after
undergoing a liver transplant in China.
Meanwhile, Susilo's running mate Kalla met with members of the
Independent Journalists Association in a hotel in South Jakarta.