Governor candidates seek support from clerics

By Indra Harsaputra
Source : The Jakarta Post

Both candidates contesting the second round of the East Java gubernatorial election have approached influential clerics from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Islamic organization, to draw support.

Khofifah Indah Parawansa and her running mate Mudjiono on Wednesday held a meeting at the Al-Hikam Islamic boarding school in Malang. The school is owned by NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi.

Rival Soekarwo and his running mate Saifullah Yusuf on Thursday met with influential NU clerics at the Sukolilo Haj dormitory in Surabaya.

Khofifah and Mudjiono are backed by the United Development Party (PPP), while Soekarwo and Saifullah are backed by the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party.

Also in attendance at the Malang meeting were officials from the NU and its affiliate organizations, including Fatayat and Muslimat, and officials from political parties supporting Khofifah and Mudjiono.

During the meeting, Hasyim and other NU officials reiterated their promise to fully support Khofifah and Mudjiono in the second round of voting.

"This meeting is aimed at maintaining NU's solidity, and this is an initial step to prevent the NU from fragmenting during campaigning for the second round of the election," campaign team leader Masykur Hasyim said after the meeting.

He added the meeting would be followed by a roadshow to NU strongholds in the province during the remaining weeks of the fasting month.

During the meeting, NU clerics also evaluated the campaign team's performance and advised the team on strategies to win the most votes.

In Sukolilo, dozens of influential NU clerics issued a tausiah (decision and promise) to stand behind Soekarwo and Saifullah.

Soekarwo hailed the clerics' political supporters, whom he said stood behind him because of his proposed plans to boost the province's economic growth over the next five years.

The clerics included Zainuddin Djazuli and KH Idris Marzuki from Kediri, KH Mas Nawawi Abdul Jalil from Pasuruan, Ahmad Sufyan Miftah and Kholil As'ad from Situbondo, Abdul Hamid from Pamekasan and Nuruddin Musyiri from Probolinggo.

In addition to the clerics, both candidates are wooing two major political parties: the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), whose candidates failed to garner enough votes to enter the second round of the election.