While many analysts have predicted that “Islamic mobilization” (i.e. the ability of candidates to bring voters out to the poll on the basis of Islamic issues) would be a key advantage for challenger Prabowo Subianto, incumbent President Joko Widodo just received the support of one of the country’s most conservative Islam-based parties — the latest in a series of signs that Prabowo’s support among hardline conservatives is waning.
Dewan Pimpinan Pusat Partai Bulan Bintang (PBB)setelah melalui proses yang diatur dalam AD/ ART menetapkan mendukung Pasangan Calon Presiden Nomor Urut 01, Joko Widodo – KH. Ma'ruf Amin dgn tetap menghormati perbedaan pilihan yg terjadi dalam tubuh PBB.
(Yusril Ihza Mahendra) pic.twitter.com/DKkP8qJ9ea
— Partai Bulan Bintang (@OfficialDPP_PBB) January 27, 2019
The Crescent Star Party (PBB) is a small but influential faction whose stated mission is to build up Indonesia’s faith, progress, justice and democracy “through Islamic values”. They had previously claimed to be ready to lead the opposition against Jokowi and were heavily speculated to be one of the parties that would join Prabowo’s coalition, but in an official statement released on their website yesterday, the party announced that they would be supporting Jokowi and his running mate, Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) leader Ma’ruf Amin.
PBB’s declaration of support for Jokowi-Ma’ruf is not a total surprise since PBB chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra had previously accepted a position on their presidential campaign as a legal advisor (he was also intimately involved in recent talks regarding the early release of firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Bashir).
1. YUSRIL BERHASIL YAKINKAN JOKOWI UNTUK BEBASKAN ABUBAKAR BAASYIR pic.twitter.com/02DEih32Pg
— Partai Bulan Bintang (@OfficialDPP_PBB) January 18, 2019
Yusril released his own statement to clarify that the decision was not based on his personal whims but a majority decision made at the party’s plenary meeting on Jan 19.
But there is obviously a great deal of disagreement within the party, with 80 PBB legislative candidates declaring on Saturday that they would support Prabowo and his running mate Sandiaga Uno. Yusil has stated that party cadres who supported Prabowo would not be given sanctions as long as their support was clearly identified as being personal and not based on the party.
One PBB cadre who vehemently rejects the party’s support for Jokowi is Novel Bamukmin, a hardliner figure connected to the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the 212 movement (also known as Fitsa Hats). Novel said today that he felt like he had been lied to by Yusril and, although he could not resign from his candidacy because there would be severe sanctions, he would not support them in any way including campaigning for himself.
Prabowo has clearly attempted to court hardcore conservatives by currying the favor of hardliner figures such as FPI leader Rizieq Shihab. In fact, PBB had been one of the parties that Rizieq had “commanded” to join Prabowo’s coalition after the presidential candidate visited the fugitive firebrand priest in Mecca in June.
Despite Rizieq’s call, PBB had abstained from declaring support for any candidate until now. Unlike other political parties that were required to declare their support for candidates at the time of their registration or face sanctions, PBB and the Garuda Party were given exemptions as they did not hold any seats in Parliament.
One could argue that PBB waited until now to declare their support for Jokowi as it’s become increasingly clear that Prabowo has an extremely difficult path to victory given his low poll numbers, his campaign’s financial difficulties and the lack of support he is receiving from his coalition partners such as the Democratic Party.
That PBB is willing to support the incumbent now, after being so vocally opposed to Jokowi’s administration in the past, seems to be yet another example of how opportunism trumps ideology in Indonesian politics.
