Nahdliyin asked to remain united

Jakarta, NU Online
Chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Slamet Effendy Yusuf asked the Nahdliyin (NU followers) in East Java to remain united and keep building mutual respect after the province's upcoming gubernatorial election.<>

He hoped any difference among the Nahdliyin should be used a means of showing their political maturity and called on them to get back to everyday activities productively.

"Let's wait the ongoing process. Next, we need to go back to previous activities, keep working and those who serve NU administrators should keep their mandate, he told NU Online here recently.

He expected all parties involved in the completion of the final vote count to uphold a more civilized politics instead of using Machiavelis political ways.

"All must uphold a civilized politics and if there is a problem there should be resolved through legal channels in the Constitutional Court," he said.

Both Syaifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) and Khofifah Indar Parawansa are NU members. Gus Ipul has now served as chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama, while Khofifah is chairwoman of Muslimat NU.

The results of four separate quick counts showed that incumbents Soekarwo-Saifullah Yusuf (KarSa) had a commanding lead over Khofifah Indar Parawansa-Herman S Sumawiredja (Berkah).

Senior researcher from Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), Deni Irfani, said KarSa received 46.97 percent of the vote while Berkah got 37.77 percent. Meaning KarSa may have achieved reelection in just one round.

Bambang Dwi Hartono-Said Abdullah (Jempol), which is endorsed solely by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) got 12.91 percent while independents Eggi Sudjana-Muhammad Sihat (Beres) garnered 2.35 percent.

“Based on our survey, KarSa is leading because the majority of East Java residents know and like Soekarwo,” Deni said. “He is considered to have been successful in improving East Java’s economy by surpassing Jakarta.”

However, he said, Khofifah managed to beat Soekarwo, chairman of the Democratic Party’s East Java Regional Executive Board, in Gresik, Lamongan and Surabaya.

On the other hand, Soekarwo managed to win in Blitar — a traditional PDI-P stronghold.

Deni said the PDI-P would have to undertake an evaluation because the Jempol pair lost in Blitar, partly due to Soekarwo’s popularity.

The Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) and Proximity also found KarSa to be in the lead.

From surveys at 350 out of 71,033 polling stations, LSI found that KarSa secured 47.94 percent, Berkah 37.77 percent, Jempol 11.90 percent and Beres 2.37 percent.

Proximity’s results were KarSa with 48.34 percent, Berkah (37.05 percent), Jempol (12.89 percent) and Beres (2.03 percent).

LSI survey manager Setia Darma also revealed that 42.04 percent of some 30.03 million eligible voters abstained from voting, much higher than the 38 percent in the 2008 race.

East Java is Indonesia’s secondmost populous province, after West Java, and an industrial hub for the labor-intensive sector, heavy industries and petrochemical companies.

Hariyadi, a political observer from Surabaya’s Airlangga University, said the high level of absenteeism was due to the fact that neighborhood and community units (RT/RW) in new residential areas were not prepared.

“Occupants in new residential areas did not return to their hometowns to cast their votes,” he said.

He also said that many voters decided to go to work on election day — despite it being designated a public holiday in the province — for the overtime payment.

Another reason, he added, was that many registered voters in East Java actually worked outside the province and were reluctant to go home due to limited time.

Around 5,000 residents in North Perak subdistrict in Pabean Cantikan district, Surabaya, abstained from voting to protest their forced eviction to make way for the double-track railway project.

“Once the East Java General Elections Commission [KPU] determined that we have won, I will visit the other candidates,” Soekarwo said commenting on the quick count results.

Meanwhile, Khofifah said her campaign team would continue conducting real counting. In a quick count by her party, Khofifah won the race with 44 percent followed by KarSa (38.47 percent), Jempol (11.8 percent) and Beres (2.02 percent).

The coordinator of Shia refugees from Sampang regency on Madura Island, Iklil Al Milal, said Shia followers were enthusiastic about casting their ballots. Especially as the East Java KPU had provided transportation from their temporary shelter at the Puspa Agro low-cost apartments to the nearest polling station in Jemundo village, Taman district in Sidoarjo regency. “We hope the elected governor will be able to solve our problems,” he said. “We want to return to our own villages.”

East Java KPUD commissioner Agus Mahfud Fauzi said the Corruption Eradication Comission (KPK) had yet to submit the wealth reports of candidates. Normally in other provinces, wealth reports are published the day prior to voting.

Reporting by Mukafi Niam; Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq