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slamic-based political parties have remained key players in politics but never as prime movers, as indicated by their ability to garner a significant share of the legislative vote based on the results of quick counts.

Syamsuddin Haris, a senior researcher with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said the staying power of Islamic-based parties was due to the continued support of the majority of Muslims in the country.

'€œThe greater Muslim population is not necessarily aligned to any Islamic party, but they choose to fly the Muslim flag due to the poor performances of nationalist parties. Voters still remember Megawati'€™s rather unmemorable term and the Golkar Party'€™s mediocre achievements,'€ Syamsudin said.

Defying predictions, Islamic-based parties posted impressive results in the legislative election according to quick counts, with the National Awakening Party (PKB) experiencing the most gain.

Quick-count results show that the PKB got 9.20 percent of the vote, coming in fifth position behind the ruling Democratic Party with 9.70 percent. The National Mandate Party (PAN) also posted an impressive gain of 7.5 percent of the vote.

The performances of Islamic-based parties defied the predictions of a number of pollsters that incorrectly foretold of their demise in the 2014 general election.

The Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) found in a 2012 survey that major Islamic-based political parties, including the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), PKB, PAN and the United Development Party (PPP), would each get less than 5 percent of the vote and collectively would only garner 21.1 percent of the popular vote.

Around the same time, the Saiful Mujani Research & Consulting (SMRC) found in a survey that three Islamic-based political parties, the PKS, PKB and PPP, would only get 3 percent of the vote. PAN was predicted to come in fourth with a meager 2 percent of the vote.

Political analyst Komaruddin Hidayat said that in spite of significant gains, it would be unlikely that the Islamic-based parties would set up a coalition among themselves.

'€œEven if there is a Islamic-base party coalition, it doesn'€™t mean that it will be the sole political vehicle for Muslim politicians. There are quite a number Muslim intellectuals in the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle [PDI-P] and Golkar as well,'€ Komaruddin told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Komaruddin, who is the rector of State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, said that the lines between nationalist and Islamic parties had been blurred, and that it was wrong to think that Muslim intellectuals only rallied behind Islamic-based parties.

'€œIndonesia has the world'€™s largest Muslim population, yet there is no clear demarcation between what constitutes nationalist and Islamist politics,'€ said Komaruddin.

Arie Sudjito, a political observer from the Gadjah Mada University, said the only problem dogging Islamic-based parties was that they lacked prominent figures that voters could rally around.

'€œCompared to Jusuf Kalla and Mahfud MD, the electability of Muhaimin is far lower. If the PKB decides to nominate Muhaimin, then the PKB will only be criticized by the public,'€ Arie said, referring to PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar.

The PKB had previously pushed three figures from outside the party '€” former vice president Jusuf Kalla, former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD, and self-styled king of dangdut Rhoma Irama '€” as presidential and vice presidential candidates.

'€œIn the beginning, the PKB relied on the three figures from outside the party,'€ Arie continued, '€œbut due to a significant boost in votes, the PKB is trying to push for one of its own, Muhaimin Iskandar.'€ (tjs/put)