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