Politicians have yet to learn to follow the rules of the game

Concerns have been raised over the future of the 30 million- strong Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama, known for its well- established schools. Once led by Abdurrahman Wahid before he became President, it seems more difficult for NU to stick to its 1926 creed, renewed in 1984, as a non-political organization. Political observer Kacung Maridjan, a PhD candidate in Development Studies at the Australian National University discussed the issue with The Jakarta Post contributor A'an Suryana. The following is an excerpt of the interview.

Question: If Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur, is pushed out, what would be the response of NU? Will the recent rampage in East Java be repeated?

Answer: If the President is dragged down constitutionally, it will not create problems. NU people will be mad but they wouldn't be able to do anything, and they would not instigate chaos if the President's replacement has strong constitutional grounds. The President can be pushed out of office constitutionally. Suppose that Gus Dur is found guilty over the Bulog and Brunei financial scandals.

The Constitution rules that the President can be found guilty of violating the Constitution and state guidelines by the Supreme Court (MA).

So, the MA initiates the inquiry and not the House of Representatives (DPR) or People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). The MA passes its decision to the MPR, which is then able to stage the special session to hold the President responsible for his wrongdoing. The DPR doesn't have right to ask the MPR to stage a special session, since it is a political institution.

If the DPR controls the political scene, it will create a bad precedent since the President could be changed any time by the DPR. Judging that there will be no majority political party in the future, the performance of the President would be continuously disturbed by the strong DPR.

However, if Gus Dur steps down from office it will create new problems of political power distribution. Who will be the vice president, the ministers? The cabinet will be a new political battlefield amid regional violence and financial problems.

Therefore, an accelerated general election might be an answer, creating the basis for comprehensive political decisions about the form of the government. Today, we have a presidential system, but the behavior of the system is like parliamentary government, where the strong DPR shakes the government any time.

What is the impact of the political tension on the relationship between the Muslim modernists and traditionalists?

If Gus Dur is pushed out of office, there may be a potential conflict between the followers of NU and Muhammadiyah. NU followers are emotional followers, and Gus Dur has emotional relations with them since he is their revered kyai (Islamic preacher).

On the other hand, NU people will hold the viewpoint that NU only took office after being politically marginalized by the previous regime for years. NU has held office barely two years now and yet they have been repeatedly jostled.

It will certainly irritate them. However, if there is a strong reason for replacing the President, they can be calmed down. Moreover, the people have been better informed, including those from NU. Many of them are better acquainted with modern trends and have university degrees. Therefore, the potential conflict can be minimized, despite the recent tension (with Muhammadiyah).

The gap between traditionalist and modernist has diminished as time goes by, thanks to the improved level of education. Today, we barely see the difference between them.

In the past, traditionalists were associated with going to pesantren (Islamic boarding school), wearing sarongs and black caps (kopiah), living in rural areas and working as farmers.

Now it is hard to distinguish them from the modernists, as the traditionalists also go to public schools, work in the industrial and trade sector, wear pants and ties, live in urban areas and obtain university degrees. So it is a convergence of the two Islamic movements.

What is the lesson of Gus Dur's case for NU: for the good of the nation, should NU withdraw from the political scene or stay?

The establishment of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and other formal political institutions representing NU is a good sign, since it will prevent NU from being reduced to a mere political animal. There are other fields in which NU could participate and bring real benefit for its people such as education, the economy and others.

However, NU should be able to distinguish itself as a social institution. It shouldn't enter the political fray. It has yet to learn to be able to perceive Gus Dur as President on one hand and Gus Dur as a religious leader kyai on the other.

NU support for the President as a politician can be withdrawn any time, without withdrawing support from Gus Dur as their spiritual leader.

Entering politics is not erroneous for a religious institution as long as it fights for the goodness of the people. However, it should be prudent and should not be trapped into practical politics.

In many countries, religion has a strong influence on politics. In the U.S., black churches mobilize their Afro- American followers to vote for the Democratic Party, while white churches mobilize their followers to vote for the Republican Party. However, the democratic process remains intact.

So, the important thing is the rules of the game. In Indonesia, the rules of the game are often diminished for the sake of the political interests.