Splitting of the Sun

Having led Muhammadiyah's youth organization for the past two decades, Hajriyanto Thohari has become a magnet for young members of the Muslim organization, one of Indonesia's largest. The official residence of the deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has also become a favorite haunt for young people. Practically once a month, the speaker hosts a gathering to discuss trending issues including the upcoming presidential election.

The meeting participants, said Hajriyanto, the former chair of the Muhammadiyah Youth Center's Management Board, are mostly supporters of either Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo, while some shy away from expressly supporting either candidate. Prabowo supporters fly the flags of Surya Madani Indonesia (SMI) and Forum Matahari Indonesia Raya (Formasi), whereas members of pro-Jokowi-as Joko Widodo is commonly called-come together under the Relawan Matahari Indonesia (RMI) group.

July 1, 2014