NU calls on its followers not to abstain from voting NU chairman says

Jakarta, NU Online
With the general elections drawing closer, a number of Muslim organizations used last Friday’s prayers to call on Muslims nationwide to vote in the general elections.

Masykuri Abdillah, one of the chairmen of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) said the organization had called on its followers not to abstain from voting and asked clerics all over the co<>untry to include a call to vote in their Friday speech.

“We don’t mind which party the NU followers choose but we worry they will fail to support the country’s political transformation,” Masykuri told the Jakarta Post on Friday.

With more than 40 million followers, the NU has long been considered a key constituent base for Islamic-based political parties, including the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Ulema National Awakening Party (PKNU) and the United Development Party (PPP). Nationalist parties, like the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party have also tried to garner support from NU members.

During campaigns in East Java, a stronghold of NU-linked parties, the PKB, the PKNU, and the Democratic Party, claimed they would win elections in the province.  

As its followers are affiliated to different political parties, the NU requested its clerics to maintain neutrality in delivering their Friday speeches, and to call on all Muslims to participate, or to focus on the technical aspects of the elections, such as how to fill out the ballot correctly. “Not all of those who attend Friday prayers are NU followers. We have to respect them,” Masykuri said.

Zainal Abidin, public relations official for Muhammadiyah, the country’s second largest Islamic organization, said the organization had taken similar action.

“We want all Muhammadiyah followers to participate in the elections and uphold peaceful conditions, even though they support different political parties.”

Like the NU, Muhammadiyah has seen their followers split regarding their support for different parties, i.e. between Muhammadiyah-linked parties such as the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Sun Party (PMB).

However, many Muhammadiyah members have also supported other Islamic and nationalist parties, such as the PPP, Golkar and even the PDI-P. Other religious organizations have promoted campaigns for peaceful elections. 

Philip Widjaja, a deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian Buddhist Association, said his organization had urged the country’s Buddhists to join the election as it would be a way for them to shape their own futures.

“But the call has mostly been disseminated through our members’ informal forums rather than during religious rituals,” Philip said.

On Friday, interfaith leaders from the country’s religious organizations, like the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Muhammadiyah, NU, the Indonesian Church Association (PGI), the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) and the Indonesian Hindu Dharma Association (PHDI), gathered in Jakarta, and called on the public, political parties, the government and the General Elections Commission to run a peaceful, high-quality general election.

“We don’t want to see the election fail, otherwise Indonesia will see political decadence,” PGI chairman Andreas Yewangoe said after the declaration.

Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin, who also attended the gathering, said all Muslims should participate in the elections, and help maintain the peace. (dar)