Robin Shulman over at the Washington Post has an interesting report and opinion: that secular politics holds fast in Indonesia meaning Islamist Groups Expected to Take Back Seat in Vote. As a matter of fact, that’s what has been and will always be going on in Indonesia:
Ismi Safeya is a student at an Islamic school who veils her hair for modesty, prays five times a day and is inspired by the idea of a society based on Muslim principles.
But when the 18-year-old casts her vote for the first time in parliamentary elections Thursday, she won’t vote for an Islamist party.
“The wisest choice is a government not dependent on Islamic law,” she said, acknowledging the religious diversity of Indonesia and arguing that rules must be fair for everyone. “Islam actually guides our lives, but it doesn’t seem to be shown in the way we vote.”
Like Safeya, most voters here in the world’s largest majority-Muslim country are expected to cast their ballots for secular parties. As political Islam gains strength globally, it has achieved little electoral success in Indonesia. Though polls show Indonesians becoming more religiously observant in their private lives, surveys also suggest this shift will not translate into significant support for Islamist politics in parliamentary elections Thursday or in presidential elections scheduled for July.
The trends still holds on yesterday’s legislative quick count result as the top three winners are all secular parties:
The Democrat Party was heading to win about 21% of the vote, followed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri with 15% and the Golkar Party with 15%, according to an exit poll by Lembaga Survei Indonesia, a polling group.
I remember The Japan Times also quoted the opinion of one shopkeeper, “we are choosing people to run the country, not the mosque. you can’t pray away poverty and unemploymeny”
After all, nationalist parties seem to be more committed to pluralism
#correct. but more important than that, even among islamic party advocates, people are also doubtful the sincerety of the islamic party workers
indonesia is plural… its sure… tapi islam tetap pasti berjaya mnjdi sebuah agama kbnaran…
” Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle ”
hahahha saya kok baru tahu kalo terjemahannya seperti ini.
politik aliran masih menjadi sebuah fenomena diindonesisa, masih juga banyak yang nyandu, hehehe
suka2 deh
aliran kadang mengundang aliran yang lain tidak…..
pro kontra biasa deh
hidup islam
I do agree with Ismi Safeya. I think the most important of the issues are resolve the unemployment problems and increasing of society prosperous which embedded and planted on their political’s visions and mission in the our diversity nation building and life.
swiss