The withdrawal of noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid from the presidential race by way of the Golkar convention has revealed the existing of two contending forces with different hidden political agendas within Golkar that were trying to manipulate Madjid for their own interests.

The two factions are most easily described as the pro- and anti-Akbar Tanjung factions, distinguished by their support or opposition for the party chairman, sentenced to three years jail on corruption charges and awaiting the result of an appeal to the Supreme Court.

For those from the anti-Akbar Tanjung faction, pushing Madjid's political ambition into the convention to choose a presidential nomination was useful to widen the split among Golkar members.

This faction's calculations were based on the fact that both Madjid and Tanjung rely on the same power base: the alumni of the Muslim Student Association, or HMI.

Most of Golkar's provincial chapters are in the hands of Tanjung's supporters from HMI, and were appointed as leaders and functionaries during his term as chairman.

This group presented a significant obstacle to the anti-Tanjung faction that wanted to use the convention as a means of defeating Tanjung and of nominating another figure as the Golkar presidential candidate.

Among the figures reported to have already collected forms to make themselves available for nomination at the convention are former Armed Forces Commander Gen. (ret.) Wiranto, former commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, media baron Surya Paloh, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X of Yogyakarta, Golkar politician Marwah Daud Ibrahim and Muslim activist Tuty Alawiyah.

A source close to Golkar told Laksamana.Net that Wiranto is seen as the most serious contender in the eyes of the pro-Tanjung faction although business leader Aburizal has received strong backing from the provincial chapters, with 27 out of 30 saying they would accept him.

This is two more than Wiranto's tally, while Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla won 24 nods, Surya Paloh 23, Tanjung 21, Prabowo 17, Hamengkubuwono X 13, and Madjid, before his decision to quit the race, with 12. The provincial chapters were allowed to approve more than one nominee.

If Madjid has continued with his campaign, the HMI connection in Golkar would have been divided into those in favor of Madjid and those in favor of Tanjung.

Such division would have made Wiranto the likely winner at the convention. Prabowo, Aburizal Bakrie and Surya Paloh would potentially become the swing voters in favor of Wiranto rather than Madjid or Tanjung.

Though a personal rival of Wiranto from the days before Suharto's forced resignation from the presidency in May 1998, Prabowo has been wooed by the alumni of Indonesian Muslim Student Union (PII) to back Wiranto, at least for the convention. Small wonder if rumors spread last week that Wiranto and Prabowo had reached a deal to support each other in the Golkar convention.

Aburizal Bakrie, Jusuf Kalla and Surya Paloh, assuming they are serious about wanting to take part in the coming convention, all have track records of wanting to take sides with the winning candidate given their business-minded attitude of opportunism.

Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X has no historical or ideological affiliation with political Islam and represents the conservative nationalists.

Marwah Daud, so far supported by 10 chapters, has emotional reasons for revenge against Tanjung because of his betrayal of former President B.J. Habibie. Tanjung contributed to Habibie's failure to be reelected as president at the general session of the People's Consultative Assembly in October 1999.

Meanwhile a source from the intelligence community says there were other more sinister motives in the minds of some elements. "Madjid's decision to take part in the convention was pushed by the proponents of the New Order regime whose special operations (OPSUS) agents had been infiltrated within the Muslim community close to Madjid," he said.

Madjid, added this source, was quite aware of this scheme. Thus, for the sake of unity and solidity within the HMI group within Golkar, Madjid decided to resign from the convention.

Former President Abdurrahman Wahid praised Madjid, saying that the scholar had maintained his role as the moral guru of the nation. This was somewhat surprising given Wahid's previous stand in rejecting Madjid's nomination as a presidential candidate for the National Awakening Party (PKB).

"Nurcholish has taught us how to play high politics, while still maintaining credibility and morality in building our democracy," said Gus Dur.

Passage of the Presidential Election Law conveniently allows a defendant to run for the presidency, bringing Tanjung a new chance for a shot at the top, and made Madjid lose relevance.

As the patron and the moral leader of HMI over three decades, Madjid knows very well that if Tanjung decides to take part in the convention, he will win the battle because of the total support given by the HMI alumni who dominate the Golkar structure from branches, provincial chapters, right up to the central board.

The HMI group can only nominate one candidate, of course. Either Tanjung or Madjid would have to step aside, and it was Madjid who broke first.