Parties praised for upholding ethics

Parties praised for upholding ethics

SEMARANG: A top ulema expressed relief recently that as of
the 15th day of the election campaign, campaigners had not
attempted to exploit the verses of the Koran or hadith (stories
about the live of the Prophet Muhammad).

Ahmad Daroni, the chairman of the Central Java branch of the
Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), praised the political parties
and their campaigners, saying that they were well educated and
politically mature.

"There have been some exceptions, but these were accidental.
Perhaps they often preach in mosques so that they are not aware
of it. It's natural," he said.

He asserted that the election campaign this year had been very
different so far to the one in 1999. "At that time, the
campaigners often quoted the holy verses. Nearly all the parties
resorted to it. This, however, can be dangerous as it can fuel
people's emotions, and could end up into chaos," he said. -- JP