Muhammadiyah general secretary Abdul Mu'ti, contacted from Jakarta on Sunday (6/11), said the new elected leaders should be able to envision a better life for the nation
By
Axel Joshua Halomoan Raja Harianja
·4 minutes read
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Muhammadiyah has urged the nation not to take the 2024 general elections simply as a democratic festival to elect the new national leadership and lawmakers, but an occasion to usher in a better future for the nation. The country’s second largest Muslim organization is thus appealing for a political contest that has good aspirations and is civilized.
Democracy, nationalism, elections, and the 2024 leadership succession were among the top issues discussed at the 48th Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah Congress, held virtually over the weekend. The two-day event (5-6/11/2022) will be followed by an offline gathering on 19-20 Nov.
Muhammadiyah general secretary Abdul Mu'ti, contacted from Jakarta on Sunday (6/11), said the new elected leaders should be able to envision a better life for the nation. "Muhammadiyah hopes that the 2024 general elections will proceed in a good and civilized manner," he said.
Having studied the various problems of organizing an election, he said that Muhammadiyah encouraged political civility in democracy through civilized elections. Muhammadiyah had also issued recommendations for better-organized elections, warned about the threat of money politics, and provided information on electoral politics as a guideline for the public.
Mu'ti said Muhammadiyah's concern about holding good and civilized general elections would be discussed further in the second round of the congress at the Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta. He mentioned that Muhammadiyah would pursue three further points to help create a civilized election.
First, Muhammadiyah would provide voter education by issuing guidelines for community groups in the hope that they would be active, rational, and wise in exercising their political rights. Second, Muhammadiyah was seeking greater electoral participation among its members.
"Third, [we] are building communication with various parties to maintain secure, peaceful, honest and orderly elections," he said.
Regarding the polarized society that was usually triggered by differing choices for president and vice president, Muhammadiyah saw greater polarization when an election presented only two candidate pairs. Therefore, Mu'ti said, Muhammadiyah encouraged political parties to prepare their best cadres to compete in a sportsmanlike and dignified manner in order to help stem political polarization and the politicization of identity.
He expressed his optimism that Muhammadiyah would be able to mobilize all organizational resources simultaneously in the corridor of progress.
Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir said the issues discussed at the congress were crucial to the organization, the nation, and humanity. He expressed his optimism that Muhammadiyah would be able to mobilize all organizational resources simultaneously in the corridor of progress.
Firman Noor, a political observer at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), called for Muhammadiyah to step up its efforts in realizing its commitment to civic democracy, including by providing political education to the public about the elections’ significance for the nation.
He urged the organization to help raise more awareness among the public about how money politics was harmful to democracy.
“Muhammadiyah and its network can build awareness about politics that is clean of corruption and oligarchy. It is also crucial to build a government that substantially upholds the values of civilization and democracy and [serves] the nation’s advancement, not the interests of the elite," he said.
Political observer Ujang Komarudin from Al Azhar Indonesia University lauded Muhammadiyah for keeping its distance from politics and power.
"So of course, we have high expectations for Muhammadiyah in being able to maintain its objectivity in the presidential election and keep its distance from the authorities. This is so that the value of objectivity enables Muhammadiyah’s criticisms of the government to be heard and heeded by the people," he said.
Progressive women
The congress also involved a gathering of Aisyiyah, the women’s wing of Muhammadiyah, which discussed the topics of community, nationalism, and humanity.
Aisyiyah chairwoman Siti Noordjannah Djohantini said the event was expected to produce a guideline that aimed to generate women with a progressive mindset.
“It documents Aisyiyah's ideological views on women in various aspects of life, [and] how Aisyiyah can make women's lives better," she said.
Siti said the draft guideline contained 10 aspirations for women’s advancement, including encouraging scientific and technological competency, realizing sakinah (materially and spiritually blissful) families, strengthening national roles, enhancing public participation, empowering the community, and promoting peace and universal humanity. Aisyiyah also raised its aspirations for civilized elections and substantive democracy. (Z13/Z17)