Five East Java gubernatorial hopefuls are seeking Nahdlatul Ulama votes. Each claims special ties with the NU community.

THE 58-year-old man was welcomed like a kiai (Islamic cleric) Sunday last week by dozens of people who shook and kissed his hand upon his arrival at the stage on a dusty field across from the Sombo apartment houses, Simokerto, Surabaya. The man, Achmady, a gubernatorial candidate backed by the National Awakening Party (PKB), kicked off his first day of campaigning.

Prior to Achmady’s arrival, his campaigner had introduced him as an official candidate backed by Abdurrahman Wahid, head of the PKB Advisory Council. Achmady, former two-time Mojokerto Regent, came with his running mate Suhartono. Selling a “Just, Prosperous East Java” concept, this duet sold coupons bearing PKB’s symbol for Rp2,000 each which could be exchanged for 2 kilos of rice.

Achmady-Suhartono and four other gubernatorial candidate pairs will conduct final campaigns before voting day on July 23. The other four pairs are Soekarwo-Sjaifullah Yusuf, Soenaryo-Ali Maschan Moesa, Sutjipto-Ridwan Hisyam, and Khofifah Indar Parawansa-Mudjiono. Soekarwo is backed by the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democrat Party, Soenaryo by Golkar, and Sutjipto by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). The United Development Party (PPP) and a number of small parties support Khofifah.

In their campaigns, all candidates promise improvement and reforms. Soekarwo advertises the slogan of “the Regional Budget (APBD) for the People.” Soenaryo pledges three “freebies,” that is, free education, free health services, and collateral-free bank loans. Sutjipto touts the slogan of “Gotong Royong Mbangun Deso Noto Kutho (building villages and ordering the towns). Khofifah sells Manteb (acronym for prosperity and security for all)

Despite the differences in campaign themes, every candidate expects votes from the organization bearing nine stars as its emblem, namely, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). Understandably, some 11 million of 28 million voters in East Java are NU members.

Judging from the past regional elections, a number of success teams believe that a candidate figure commands greater salability rather than a campaign theme. Heru Sudibjo, Soenaryo’s campaign head, says his candidate stands a good chance of securing the governorship because he is widely known in East Java. In addition to being the Deputy Governor, he is also a celebrated dalang (puppeteer). The participation of East Java NU Executive Chairman Ali Maschan Moesa is also expected to clinch more than 30 percent of the votes. In the 2004 General Elections, Golkar gained 15 percent of the votes. More or less the same number of votes is expected from the nahdliyin (NU members). “After all, the nahdliyin votes are divided among Achmady, Khofifah, and Syaifullah Yusuf,” says the former territorial assistant to the Army Chief of Staff.

Achmady is PKB’s official candidate. His campaign team expects to get as many as 40 percent of the votes, even though in the 2004 General Elections, PKB got only 30 percent. Additional votes are expected from the military through Achmady’s running mate Suhartono who was former Brawijaya Military Command V Chief of Staff.

Khofifah steps forward, thanks to the backing of the PPP and some small parties. These parties got 17 percent of the votes in the 2004 General Elections. Syaifullah nominates himself as deputy to Soekarwo who is backed by PAN and the Democrat Party. In 2004, both scored 15 percent of the votes.

Heru Sudibjo is optimistic about his candidate’s popularity. A survey conducted by the Indonesian Survey Circle indicates that Soenaryo and Soekarwo are neck and neck, with Soekarwo commanding 18.2 percent popularity against Soenaryo’s 17.8 percent. The other candidates gained less than 15 percent. “We work harder after learning of the results,” says Heru.

Sutjipto is backed by PDI-P which garnered 21 percent of votes in the 2004 General Elections. Sutjipto’s campaign team head Ali Mudji is optimistic that 40 percent of the votes will be won. In addition to the PDI-P’s votes, he is convinced that votes can be drawn from Golkar through Ridwan Hisyam. “The victory of the regional government heads elections in Central Java and Bali encourages us more,” says Ali.

Even though Sutjipto and Ridwan are not nahdliyin, this pair is optimistic about getting votes from NU members by means of lobbying the Muslim clerics, as one of their strategies. Late in May, they paid respects to Kiai Abdulah Faqih, the leader of the Lirboyo Pondok Pesantren in Kediri. Faqih scoffed at Sutjipto by saying, “I thought you had forgotten me.” According to Ali, when Faqih was hospitalized at the Dr Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, two years ago, Sutjipto made a point of paying him a visit.