Jakarta, NU Online
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Amidhan has urged people to use their right to vote during the July 9 presidential elections according to their conscience.<>

"People who have received an invitation or ID card are encouraged to cast their votes at the polling stations," Amidhan stated here on Tuesday.

He explained that choosing a leader is an obligation for Muslims. Based on ijtima (collective) ulema in Padang Panjang in 2009, MUI has issued a fatwa or legal edict that abstention is haram (forbidden for Muslims).

MUI said that an elected bad leader is better than having no leader at all.

"Therefore, MUI has urged people to not abstain from voting," he affirmed.

Amidhan said that the fragmented attitudes of the society will end after the elections.

"As we know artist or ulema has recently been split, but after presidential elections they will reunite," he said.

He added that the leader elected by the people should assist Indonesia in its prosperity, enhancement, and growth.

According to Indonesias General Elections Commission (KPU), a total of 186,722,030 eligible voters have been registered, with 486,866 polling stations across the archipelago.

The presidential election will be contested by two pairs: Prabowo Subianto with Hatta Rajasa as his running mate and Jokowi who pairs with Jusuf Kalla.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq