Still Having Prestige In The Ummat Party, Amien Rais Is Called Gus Dur's Classmate

Ummat Party Declaration (Youtube Amien Rais)

JAKARTA - Amien Rais' intention to form a new party after leaving the National Mandate Party (PAN) was finally achieved. Amien officially declared the Ummat Party.

However, there are parties who feel pessimistic that the Ummah Party can qualify for the election contest. Because Amien Rais' character is considered obsolete.

Responding to this, political observer from Al Azhar University Indonesia Andriadi Achmad assessed that Amien Rais' character is still a magnet for the Ummat Party. It is even said that the former chairman of the MPR could have succeeded in bringing his party to the election stage.

"The assumption that Amien Rais' prestige is obsolete is only the perception of the media. Because in Indonesia, whoever is against the government must be decayed by buzzers and others," Andriadi told VOI, Friday, April 30.

According to him, the father of reform has almost no loopholes that can be gouged out to be tackled in the arena of national politics.

"If Amien Rais does not have a gap, no corruption, he is a deviant figure, not only is he more critical and sometimes many people do not like it and even be exaggerated," he said.

Andriadi made an analogy of Amien Rais as Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur, who was identified as synonymous with Indonesia's largest Islamic mass organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). Gus Dur's character was even attached to the National Awakening Party (PKB) even though the 4th president had died and his party had changed its chairman.

"So I don't think Amien Rais is bad. He (Amien, red) is in the same class as Gus Dur. That is, he is a Muhammadiyah figure, Gus Dur NU, whose fanatical masses are still there," said Andriadi.

Even though he cannot claim, said Andriadi, Amien Rais is the brightest figure in Muhammadiyah. "Amien after KH Ahmad Dahlan means attached, so with PKB Gus Dur, after losing his prestige (PKB, ed) it dropped drastically," he said.

It is possible that Muhammadiyah members who are in the National Mandate Party (PAN) will move to the Ummat Party. Only because Amien Rais founded the party bearing the shield and golden star.

"Even the fanatical masses of Muhammadiyah who are in PAN might shift to the Ummat Party because of Amien Rais," said Andriadi.

"And PAN party figures who do not qualify can move closer to the Ummat because they have no problems, there are problems, right? Amien and Zulkifli Hasan. Hatta Rajasa is good, Sutrisno Bachir is good. Zulhas actually submits to him (Amien, ed) but it is just uncomfortable because he was unable to maintain the image, "he continued.

According to Andriadi, the emergence of the Ummat Party answered that Muhammadiyah's anxiety has been relieved so far.

"Because PAN is not clear, especially when Amien Rais left Muhammadiyah to have a party foothold. PAN is not already there," he said.

The Executive Director of the Nusantara Institute PolCom SRC believes that Amien Rais is no longer a darling in the media after his involvement in Alumni 212. However, in the eyes of his loyalists Amien Rais is still a role model.

"Indeed it is not visible in the mass media, but it cannot be denied that Amien Rais still has prestige even though in the media he is ridiculed, said to be cynical. That is the language of the buzzer media. But if at the roots of the Ummah he is still in the hearts of the people. He has no defeats. Yes, he is in the same class as Gus Dur. His figure is Muhammadiyah, he (Amien Rais, red) the NU cleric, Gus Dur, so he still has prestige, "said Andriadi.

"I think the power of prestige is still strong. Even though he is also not passionate about becoming (president, red), for example. That's no longer," he added.