Election boycott by NU groups won't work: Observers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Observers dismissed yesterday the recent
\nendorsement of poll boycotting by a group of Nahdlatul Ulama
\nactivists, saying it had not even scratched the surface.<\/p>\n
Hartono Mardjono, a former leader of the United Development
\nParty (PPP) from the dominant Muslimin Indonesia faction, and
\nMustofa Bisri, an ulema of Nahdlatul Ulama, told The Jakarta Post
\nseparately that the activists' statement had not affected the
\nmajority of the organization's 30 million members.<\/p>\n
\"The members wouldn't be influenced,\" Hartono said. \"The
\nfollowers of Nahdlatul Ulama are very traditional people. They
\nare not easily influenced by whatever their leaders say in the
\npapers.\"<\/p>\n
He said Nahdlatul Ulama rural members were eagerly preparing
\nfor the election.<\/p>\n
Eight groups within Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest
\nMoslem organization, endorsed boycotting the election as a form
\nof political participation last week. The groups -- including
\nyouth and women wings of the organization, said if citizens chose
\nnot to vote they were only exercising their right.<\/p>\n
NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid lashed out at the groups,
\ncalling them impudent and overstepping their boundary. He also
\naccused them of using the organization's name arbitrarily.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Hartono speculated that the groups were actually
\nprotesting Abdurrahman, whose political maneuvers with Golkar had
\nrecently surprised many people.<\/p>\n
\"But even if the group was targeting NU members, I'm convinced
\nthe NU community would not be swayed (into boycotting the poll),\"
\nHartono said.<\/p>\n
Hartono said Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, was often
\ntoo confident of his ability to influence NU members into
\nfollowing his wishes. \"The fact is, not everybody will follow
\nhim. The group's statement on the poll boycott was an example
\n(that not everybody agreed with him),\" Hartono said.<\/p>\n
NU has a long history of competition with the Muslimin
\nIndonesia (MI) faction within the PPP.<\/p>\n
Mustofa Bisri agreed the group's statement would not affect NU
\nin general, but said the organization has a strong tradition of
\nplurality of opinion.<\/p>\n
\"To differ with one another is a tradition of NU,\" he said.
\n\"Gus Dur always teaches us to be brave and accommodate
\ndifferences.<\/p>\n
\"This is democracy. We are not surprised at all if the young
\npeople of NU said they had different opinions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He dismissed speculation that the eight groups within NU were
\nundermining the leadership of Abdurrahman. \"Those young people
\nare still the biggest supporters of Gus Dur. Even those who made
\nthe statements, such as Ulil Abshar, were people closest to Gus
\nDur.\"<\/p>\n
Ulil Abshar Abdalla is among the organization's young
\nintellectuals. He said the groups had consulted NU seniors before
\nreleasing the statement which also said that if people chose to
\nabstain from voting, the group would \"understand their feelings
\nand stance, and consider (abstaining) as a legitimate form of
\npolitical participation\".<\/p>\n
\"The statement was not a big issue within NU, because we are
\nused to differences of opinion,\" said Mustofa. He added that
\nAbdurrahman, despite his harsh criticism, was not at all upset by
\nthe youths.<\/p>\n
\"It would have been better had the groups consulted Gus Dur
\nfirst before releasing the statement,\" Mustofa said. \"He was just
\nworried people would think these groups represented the executive
\nboard of NU. They didn't. They represented themselves.<\/p>\n
\"There is nothing to worry about. Gus Dur's leadership is not
\nat all at threat,\" he said. (26\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/election-boycott-by-nu-groups-wont-work-observers-1447893297",
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