Mochamad Zhacky, Jakarta – The Alumni Brotherhood 212 (PA 212), the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) and a number of other Islamic groups will hold an action to safeguard the final hearing of a challenge to the presidential election result at the Constitutional Court (MK) on June 28.
They have declared that the action, which will be held in the vicinity of the Constitutional Court building, will be peaceful.
“The agenda is also the same, to uphold justice, [electoral] fraud can result in disqualification, the ones who committed fraud during the pemilu [election] can be disqualified, with the public safeguarding it, [the judges] don’t have to be afraid of the interests of those in power. So we will attend as members of the public to safeguard the constitution. This will be a super peaceful action like we have held on previous occasions”, PA 212 spokesperson Novel Bamukmin told journalists on Thursday June 20.
Aside from safeguarding the Constitutional Court hearing, the action will also be used as a moment for holding a halalbihalal (to pay one’s respects to others for past sins and mistakes). Bamukmin said that the action is mandated by a decision by the Ijtimak Ulama (a meeting or assembly of Islamic clerics).
“Also because it’s still (the month of) Syawal [Shawwal, the tenth month of the lunar Islamic calendar] so we’ll hold a halalbihalal there at the same time. It’s [a decision of] the Ijtimak Ulama right, not just one ulama [Islamic cleric]. The Ijtimak Ulama, we always follow the decisions of the ulama”, he explained.
Bamukmin said that fugitive Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) supreme leader Habib Rizieq Shihab is aware of the action and that he also supports the action.
“God willing Habib Rizieq knows about it. Although by what means he knows I don’t really know. God willing, if he is silent it means he supports it. If he didn’t support it he would defiantly have make an appeal [to that effect]”, said Bamukmin.
The PA 212 held a similar action on Tuesday June 18 to coincide with the preliminary hearing of a challenge to the presidential election result at the Constitutional Court at which the legal team representing the loosing presidential ticket of Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno read out their appeal.
The action was attended by FPI General Chairperson Sobri Lubis and former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) advisor Abdullah Hehamahua. Hehamahua called on the crowd to safeguard the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) by supporting the Constitutional Court in hearing the electoral challenge to the best of its abilities.
“I don’t want the NKRI to disintegrate. Ladies and gentlemen do you agree with the NKRI disintegrating?”, asked Hehamahua at the rally. The crowd responded with shouts of “No!”.
“Ladies and gentleman do you agree with being slaves in your own country?”, he then asked, to which the crowd responded in the negative. “Safeguard the NKRI! The only way is if we come here and give moral support to the MK”, said Hehamahua. (zak/hri)
Notes
The 212 Alumni Brotherhood (PA 212) is an umbrella group of hardline Islamist organisations including the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the recently banned Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) who are affiliated with the loosing presidential ticket of Prabowo Subianto and vice presidential running mate Sandiaga Uno. Along with the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Fatwa (GNPF-MUI), the group was born out of the 2016-17 demonstrations against former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama. In December 2018 the PA 212 held a mass “reunion” rally in Jakarta that was attended by Prabowo and key coalition party leaders. In September the GNPF-MUI held an ulama conference (Ijtima’ Ulama) where Prabowo signed an integrity pact containing pledges that GNPF-U wanted fulfilled should he win the election.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “PA 212-GNPF akan Gelar Aksi Damai Kawal MK Jumat Pekan Depan”.]
Source: https://news.detik.com/berita/d-4594121/pa-212-gnpf-akan-gelar-aksi-damai-kawal-mk-jumat-pekan-depan
