'Nahdliyin have freedom to vote in elections'

Sampang, NU Online
The Nahdlatul Ulama Branch Board (PCNU) of Sampang, Madura, will remain neutral in the East Java's gubernatorial race that will be held in August 2013 and legislative elections in 2014. Nahdliyin (NU followers) have freedom to use their right to vote in accordance with their own choice.<>

"Organizationally the PCNU will take a neutral stance, because it could not be used as a guide for the upcoming gubernatorial election," PCNU secretary Mahrus Zamroni said here on Monday (10/6).

To maintain the NU neutrality, the PCNU executive board members are prohibited from actively involving themselves in political parties or supporting certain governor and deputy governor candidate pair.

The East Java gubernatorial election will be very tight and tense as former state minister for women’s empowerment Khofifah Indar Parawansa once more goes head-to-head against incumbents Soekarwo-Saifullah Yusuf after her dramatic defeat in the 2008 contest, an observer says.

Khofifah, who was a minister during president Abdurrahman Wahid’s administration, will pair up with former East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. (ret.) Herman Surjadi Sumawiredja.

Herman replaced former Probolinggo regent and National Democratic Party (NasDem) chair Hasan Aminuddin, who was earlier paired with Khofifah, in the upcoming election on Aug. 29.

In 2008, Soekarwo-Saifullah took 7,660,861 votes, while Khofifah-Mudjiono got 7,626,757 a difference of only 34,104 votes.

Khofifah-Herman are backed by the National Care Functional Party (PKPB), the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI), the Indonesian Nahdlatul Ulama United Party (PPNUI), the National Sun Party (PMB) and the Sovereign Party (Partai Kedaulatan).

A political observer at Airlangga University in Surabaya, Hariyadi, said the disclosure of fraud supposedly committed by the incumbents in the previous election would be part of the Khofifah-Herman strategy to win this year.

Despite that, Hariyadi considers the choice of Herman as Khofifah’s running mate was a mistake.

Many people will discover that Khofifah already has a special relationship with Herman since he was previously East Java Police chief.

“People may most likely think that previously, the proof of fraud submitted to Pak Herman when he was still serving as the East Java Police chief had something to do with Bu Khofifah. It is now proven, when Khofifah by pairing up with Herman,” Hariyadi told The Jakarta Post.

When Herman was still East Java Police chief in 2008, he announced evidence of fraud committed by Soekarwo and Saifullah against Khofifah and her running mate Mudjiono in the election.

East Java General Elections Commission (KPUD) head Andre Dewanto told reporters that Khofifah-Herman was the first candidate pair whose application had been validated by the KPUD.

Andre said the support for Khofifah-Herman from political parties in East Java had exceeded the minimum 15 percent required.

Soekarwo and Saifullah are backed by 10 parties (The Democrats, Hanura, Golkar, the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), the National Ulema Awakening Party (PKNU) and dozens of non-parliamentary parties).

Other possible candidate pairs include Bambang Dwi Hartono and Said Abdullah, nominated solely by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), and an independent pair of Eggi Sudjana and Muhammad Sihat.

The election could cost up to Rp 800 billion (US$82.2 million) to organize.

East Java Police will deploy 40,500 personnel assisted by 16,700 soldiers from the Brawijaya Military Command.

Reporting by M Kamil Akhyari; Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq