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