Mega, Hasyim receive support from NU youth organizations<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Leaders of youth organizations affiliated to the country's
\nlargest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), threw their
\nsupport behind Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi on
\nTuesday, boosting their chances in the election runoff.<\/p>\n
They called on members of their respective organizations to
\nvote for Megawati and Hasyim, who they said was the only NU
\nmember vying for one of the country's top posts.<\/p>\n
\"We call on all NU followers to vote for the Megawati-Hasyim
\npairing in the runoff on Sept. 20,\" said Andi M. Ramly, an
\nadvisor to a number of NU youth organizations, including GP
\nAnsor.<\/p>\n
Other figures who support the pair are, among others, NU
\ndeputy chairmen Andi Jamaro and Ahmad Bagdja, National Awakening
\nParty (PKB) deputy chairman Khofifah Indar Parawansa, NU Female
\nYouth Fatayat chairwoman Maria Ulfa Masfufah and NU Students
\nAssociation (IPNU) head Syamsuddin M. Pay.<\/p>\n
\"We also call on NU members and supporters, especially
\ninfluential clerics who run Islamic boarding schools, to support
\nand pray for the victory of the Megawati-Hasyim pairing,\" Andi
\nsaid at a media conference.<\/p>\n
NU, which has around 40 million members nationwide, supported
\nGen. (ret) Wiranto and running mate Solahuddin Wahid in the July 5
\nelection. The pair, however, failed to make it to the second
\nround.<\/p>\n
NU and PKB leaders showed support for Megawati and Hasyim
\napparently after influential cleric Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid
\nmet with Megawati a few days ago.<\/p>\n
Andi said the support for the pairing was due to Megawati's
\nrunning mate, Hasyim, \"being the only NU member to fight for the
\nvice presidential post in the September election\".<\/p>\n
Separately, Hasyim said on Tuesday that he and Megawati
\nexpected to win the support of NU members in the runoff.<\/p>\n
Hasyim, who has just returned from going on a pilgrimage in
\nMecca, said he and Megawati would intensify their approach to NU
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
The KPU declared on Monday that Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
\nMegawati would vie for the presidency in the second round of the
\nelection.<\/p>\n
The commission said that Susilo and running mate Jusuf Kalla
\nhad garnered 39,838 million votes, or 33.57 percent of 118.6
\nmillion valid ballots, while Mega and Hasyim came in second with
\n31.5 million votes, or 26.6 percent.<\/p>\n
Hasyim said on Tuesday that he was grateful that the pair had
\nmake it to the second round.<\/p>\n
He noted that their success would be followed by hard work to
\nwin the support of NU members so as to gain the final victory.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Mega Center team member Irma Hutabarat said that in
\naddition to winning the support of NU members, the team would try
\nto woo voters whose presidential candidates had failed to advance
\nto the second round of the election.<\/p>\n
\"We are going to woo supporters of Wiranto, Amien Rais and
\nHamzah Haz,\" Irma was quoted as saying by Antara.<\/p>",
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