Abu Shams – The battle for votes in the upcoming Indonesian national elections is already on and it exposes rivalries among the existing Islamic political parties in the country. Among such Islamic parties is the United Development Party, whose leaders have chosen the Kabah which all Muslims face in prayer, as the new party symbol. This party symbol became the slogan of a giant rally of supporters numbering about 40,000 held at a stadium. At this large rally, the image of Islamic solidarity appeared to suffer a setback. Party stalwarts exhorted the crowd to shun the major rival in the June elections: the National Awakening Party, championed by politician Abdurrahman Wahid. These party leaders directed their criticisms against Wahid and also against Habib Idrus, another cleric.

The feverish rhetoric at the big rally was a sign of the rising political temperature in Indonesia's Muslim heartland. With three months until landmark national elections, political parties are now said to be locked in a battle for the soul-and the vote-of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's Muslim organisation. To draw grassroots NU members away from its leader Wahid and his National Awakening Party-or PKB-the United Development Party has been reportedly deploying powerful Islamic imagery that was kept under wraps during the Suharto era. The PKB is also reportedly countering with its organisational muscle.

This rivalry is said to be stirring the deeply sensitive instinct of Islamic identity, causing a bitter division among local Muslim communities, sparking occasional violence. Aside from the threat of mounting unrest, the grassroots acrimony is said to provide a severe test of political leadership for President B.J. Habibie and the NU's Wahid. According to observers, both must live up to their "moderate" Muslim credentials by laying the ground work for a political campaigntat serves as a lesson in democracy, not hatred. At the same time, as pointed out by observers, they face the temptation of plunging into the fray to help the parties that may be the vehicle for their presidential bids.

Many analysts have predicted that Habibie may latch on to the United Development Party, known as PPP, as a vehicle for a second term if his own party, Golkar is wiped out at the polls. "Habibie is very close to PPP. He always keeps the door open," said Nasir Tamara, a founder of the Indonesian Association of Muslim Intellectuals, who now handles media relations for the PPP.

According to analysts, while the PPP and PKB slug it out for the hearts and minds of Muslims, they are far from monopolising the political scene. Long-time opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri and leading reformist Amien Rais also have far-flung party networks and broad support. Both Megawati's Indonesian Democratic party and Amien's national Mandate Party have more definitively carved out their constituencies: Megawati appeals to the disaffected underclass while Amien's party attracts relatively more educated urbane voters. But only the PPP and PKB are likely to draw support of the 35-million strong NU. The PPP leadership expects to see the party as one of the first five contestants, and thus play a vital role in the national political scene. "Of the 147 registered political parties, 30 say they are inspired by Muslim principles.

The PPP began its political journey with the Ka'bah symbol, only to switch to a less powerful image, a star, at the behest of the Suharto regime. Likewise, the party was forced to relinquish its "basic principles" of Islam after the regime decreed that all parties must be based on the state ideology, Pancasila, which recognises five religions. In a national congress last year, party leaders swiftly agreed to return to Islam as their basic principle and the Ka'bah as their symbol.

Just as the PPP decided to place the NU at the helm and reassert its Muslim identity, it ran smack up against the charismatic personality of Wahid and his newly formed PKB. Other NU leaders and long-time rivals of Wahid have formed other small parties, but none represent the same threat to the PPP's survival. To beat the challenge, the PPP is reportedly aiming straight at what it perceives to be the PKB's achilles heel: that the new party's "basic principle" is not Islam, but the five principles of Pancasila. The goal is not only to woo Muslim voters, but persuade influential clerics to come on board. With them comes the loyalty of thousands of traditional Islamic boarding-school students.

Naturally, PKB leaders have their own methods of mobilising the NU flock. Their message: A good NU member will vote for the PKB and remain loyal to Wahid. They heap scorn on NU members who choose otherwise. On each side, Muslims reportedly bristle indignantly that the rival party is branding them "infidels". Many PKB members are also outraged by the personal attacks on Wahid, whom they revere even though they don't always understand him.