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Muhammadiyah declares vote buying 'haram' ahead of regional elections
Muhammadiyah has declared vote buying haram for the 2024 regional elections, urging clean elections and condemning the practice as a threat to democracy.
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Volunteers fold ballots for the 2024 regional elections on Nov. 4, 2024, at the Bogor Regency General Elections Commission’s (KPU) warehouse in Klapanunggal, Bogor regency, West Java. (Antara Foto/Yulius Satria Wijaya )
M
uhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Muslim organization, has issued a fatwa (edict) against vote buying for the upcoming 2024 regional elections, declaring the practice as haram.
The prohibition was determined during a recent meeting of the Tarjih and Tajdid Council, and specifically targets bribery, rewards and vote buying, which are seen as contrary to Islamic values.
“The 2024 regional elections on Nov. 27 require Muhammadiyah to assert its stance and issue guidance for all members, cadres and the wider community to help create a government that is clean and oriented toward beneficial public policies,” Busyro Muqoddas, head of Muhammadiyah’s legal division, stated in a written release received by Kompas on Monday.
Busyro highlighted that vote buying had become a serious social, cultural and political phenomenon affecting public morality. The practices foster a culture of pragmatism and lowers the quality of democracy by favoring private interests over public welfare.
“This practice poses a severe threat to Indonesian democracy, as it removes the essence of justice and concern for the people,” Busyro added.
“The normalization of vote buying has led to corruption, abuse of power and the erosion of people’s sovereignty.”
Busyro further noted that regional elections should allow citizens to choose leaders and bureaucrats who are clean, honest and committed to democracy, law and human rights, as mandated by the 1945 Constitution.
Muhammadiyah has thus issued four appeals to create peaceful and fair regional elections free from vote buying, which erodes democratic principles and values.
First, Muhammadiyah pushes for improvement in elections management and governance, substantive democracy enforcement and government management based on Pancasila and religious values.
Second, Muhammadiyah recommends that all members exercise their political rights in a smart and critical way and consider the interests of organization, congregation and the public in their region.
Third, the organization is calling on its leadership at all levels to push for an election that is honest, clean, democratic and that considers the people’s interests while avoiding vote buying and actions that violate religious norms.
Fourth, regional executive boards should disseminate Muhammadiyah stance to the executive boards of districts, sub-districts and villages.
“Regional elections must produce leaders who are loyal to the spirit of Pancasila and religion and who can manage state bureaucracy with integrity,” Busyro said.
Previously, the head of Muhammadiyah’s Tarjih and Tajdid Council, Syamsul Anwar, also mentioned the significance of upholding democratic integrity and curbing damaging transactional politics.
“Muhammadiyah emphasizes that vote buying is a serious threat to true democracy,” Syamsul said at Muhammadiyah office in Yogyakarta in October.
