Gus Dur gets green light from spiritual guru<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid said on Monday
\nhe had received the green light from his spiritual mentor to make
\nan all-out bid in the presidential election on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"I will not take myself out of the nomination process and I
\nwill remain in the race until the election is held,\" Abdurrahman,
\nbetter known as Gus Dur, said.<\/p>\n
The chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest
\nMuslim social organization, previously said he would only run
\nwith the consent of senior Muslim scholars from Central Java and
\nEast Java.<\/p>\n
\"Sometime ago I met with Kyai Langitan (to seek his approval).
\nThis morning, he sent a courier with the message that if I run,
\nMuslim scholars will provide me with prayers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Kiyai Langitan is the term he uses for Abdullah Faqih, head of
\nthe Langitan Islamic boarding school in Jombang, East Java. Gus
\nDur reveres him as his guru.<\/p>\n
Jombang was the birthplace of NU, which has about 35 million
\nfollowers nationwide.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur, who is partially blind, did not discuss his health,
\nwhich was reportedly a major concern in launching a presidential
\nbid. He has made several foreign trips, including most recently
\nto Belgium, for medical treatment.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur was nominated as a presidential candidate by the
\nAssembly's reform faction which groups the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN) and the Justice Party (PK). Together, the two parties have
\n40 members in the 700-seat People's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
He is the third person to have been formally nominated for the
\npresidential election on Wednesday. The others are Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) and incumbent B.J. Habibie, who has been nominated by
\nthe Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur is expected to receive massive support from the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB), a party closely affiliated to NU
\nand which he helped found.<\/p>\n
His late nomination has virtually split the party.<\/p>\n
PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil earlier promised to support
\nMegawati's presidential bid while his deputy Alwi Shihab said the
\nparty would back Gus Dur.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said one of the tasks entrusted to him by his mentor
\nwas to prevent PKB from disintegrating.<\/p>\n
Asked if his nomination would deepen the polarization within
\nPKB, Gus Dur said the differences were natural and people should
\nnot blow them out of proportion.<\/p>\n
He said polarization was also found in Golkar and PDI
\nPerjuangan.<\/p>\n
\"I have 31 votes from PDI Perjuangan. Don't ask me how many
\nvotes I will get from Golkar, but it's more than that,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It's good that everybody is now confused with three
\npresidential candidates. So we will build a new democracy based
\non the confusion of the MPR members.\"<\/p>\n
Gus Dur also disclosed his intention to sue Tempo, accusing
\nthe newsweekly of a \"subtle attempt\" to pit him against Habibie.<\/p>\n
He did not disclose the offending article.<\/p>\n
The magazine recently ran a lengthy interview with Gus Dur in
\nwhich he was asked his opinion about Habibie and allegations of
\nHabibie's camp trying to bribe PKB officials to vote for him.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said he would demand Rp 100 billion in damages and
\nthat the edition be immediately removed from public circulation.<\/p>\n
Tempo executive editor Toriq Hada said the article, if
\nanything, reflected PKB's stand against practices in money
\npolitics.<\/p>\n
Toriq said the magazine would look into Gus Dur's complaint
\nand also hoped to discuss the matter with him. (emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-gets-green-light-from-spiritual-guru-1447893297",
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