Abstention is 'public punishment' of officials

Indra Harsaputra and ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 07/25/2008 1:49 PM | The Archipelago

A high voter abstention rate has thrown the legitimacy of East Java's gubernatorial election into doubt.

Political analysts and sociologists said the low turnout was "punishment" inflicted by a public "frustrated" with the behavior of local political figures.

The outcome marks a shift in the public's view of political advocates responsible for voter turnout, particularly clerics, bureaucrats and other leaders, sociologist Ayu Sutarto said.

Politically involved community leaders have gone against the aspirations of most people in the province, he added.

"When such figures begin advocating on behalf of politicians, the result can be resistance from the public," Ayu told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The election results confirm earlier perceptions that public trust for ulema, bureaucrats and politicians is eroding, he added.

"The situation has gotten worse due to the malfunction of existing political machinery.

"What got candidates elected was stirred-up resentment toward certain groups on the part of others -- such as the call for voters to choose only female candidates -- rather than candidates' words or program proposals," Ayu said.

Counts conducted by three separate pollsters showed a nearly 40 percent abstention rate during Wednesday's election.

The election will be rescheduled as, according to the pollsters, none of the five pairs of candidates managed to secure more than 30 percent of the vote.

The top two pairs, Soekarwo-Saefullah Yusuf and Khofifah Indar Parawansa-Mudjiono, have qualified to run in the new election.

Airlangga University political scientist Erlangga Pribadi concurred the high abstention rate was "punishment" for candidates who lacked a clear mission or vision for leading the province.

"The public abstained because they didn't find any of the candidates suitable," he said.

Ali Khaidar from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nation's largest Muslim organization, said candidate advocates, particularly ulema and community leaders, have lost influence among the public because of their involvement in politics.

"Aside from East Java, many other regions have seen candidates endorsed by religious leaders lose in direct regional elections," he added.

Political parties and election candidates continue using clerics as advocates because it is cheaper than spending campaign funds on media advertisements, Ali said.

"The public can see through it: Many religious and community leaders speak out during local elections as if they were fighting for the interests of the public, but in reality they aren't," he added.

He said the same thing happened during the 2004 presidential election, when NU leader Hasyim Muzadi, running mate to Megawati Soekarnoputri, lost to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the race.

In his own electoral district of Malang, East Java, Hasyim received fewer votes than Yudhoyono, Ali added.

Indonesian Survey Institute researcher Adam Kamil attributed the low turnout to the East Java election commission's failure to disseminate working programs outlined by each of the five pairs of candidates.

"It proves the commission does not make an effort to promote candidates and their programs."