Western Media Misunderstand about the Jakarta Gobernatorial Election
A front page photo of the April 20, 2017 edition of the Wall Street Journal highlighting the Regional Election in Jakarta.
By: Rana Setiawan, Editor of the Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
Jakarta, 26 Rajab 1438/3 April 2017 (MINA) – Anies-Sandi victory in the runoff of Jakarta Gubernatorial elections on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 based on the results of quick count some pollsters received skeptical response from the Western media. They said it was the victory of hardline or radical Islam.
Mainstream western media such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, BBC, Times Magazine, Associated Press (AP), and ABC News Australia carry the themes with the opinion that what is reflected in the Jakarta Gobernatorial election of the second round is the battle of Islam vs. Christianity. The defeat of Ahok and Anies Baswedan’s victory was articulated in terminology or diction that was connected with religious and racial issues.
A number of quick counts from survey institutes did show that the incumbent governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), was defeated in the second round of election against Anies Baswedan, former minister of education of President Joko Widodo’s cabinet.
They also take a lot of framings as if the result of the second round election is the defeat of moderate parties and victory from the radical camp. This perspective shows the failure of Western media to understand the politics of Indonesia and Jakarta. For that it needs to be corrected. It is precisely the social question that seems to be neglected in the reports of Western media on this second round election in Jakarta.
The Western media is too rash to take angle on the election issue in the capital Jakarta which alludes to SARA issues.
Anies-Sandi is not only supported by Islamic groups. In the Anies camp, there are many other religious supporters. The Interdenominational Christian Community of the Church holds a declaration of support to the candidate pair of governor candidate and vice governor candidate of DKI Jakarta election number three, Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno, at Serba Guna Building, Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (11/4/2017).
The Declaration of support from the Christian Communities of Interdenomination of the Church is marked by the signing of a memorandum of support by 12 pastors and attended by Christians whose churches belongs to the Christian Interdenomination of the Church.
On that occasion, Sandi who attended the declaration stated that it was committed to stand above all parties if later elected. He promised not to distinguish between groups, tribes, races, and religions.
So, also in the camp of the incumbent Governor Ahok and his running mate Djarot, some members of the successful team are Muslims. The leading Muslim figures in Ahok’s Success Team include Effendy Choirie (Gus Choi), Mohamad Sangaji, Hasan Basri Umar, Ahmad Basarah, Muhammad Omar Sjarif, and Abdul Aziz Muslim.
The United Development Party (PPP) of Djan Faridz’s camp also declared support for the Ahok-Djarot in the second round of Jakarta Election.
The western media clearly misjudged if they concluded that Anies Baswedan’s victory in the Jakarta Election was a victory of radical Islam. It is proven that the regional election was held peacefully without any friction, let alone conflict.
Even as many as 23 promises Anies-Sandi campaign also offers a program for all citizens of Jakarta regardless of class, tribe, race, and religion.
Closing this article we quote the statement of Vice President Jusuf Kalla who did not hesitate to cast a protest to visiting US Vice President Michael Pence during a banquet at the Vice Presidential Palace on Thursday (20/04/2017), by reiterating that Western media news about the results of the second round election of Jakarta Capital City are incorrect, adding that the victory of Anies-Sandi is not the victory of Islamist hardliners. (R01/ RS5)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
