NU plans to harmonize its position on PPP<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), licking
\ntheir wounds at the way United Development Party (PPP) treated
\nthem at a congress last week, plan to take a common stand on
\ntheir ties with the party which they helped found 21 years ago.<\/p>\n
Hasyim Muzadi, head of NU's executive board in East Java, said
\nhe plans to organize a meeting with other NU leaders in Java to
\nforge a united stand in view of the PPP treatment, the Antara
\nnews agency reported.<\/p>\n
Hasyim said NU was deeply disappointed at the treatment. "It
\nis not our intention to meddle in the affairs of other people,
\nbut cannot accept to see our ulemas being battered by
\npoliticians," he said.<\/p>\n
His statement is the latest sign of dissension from NU in the
\naftermath of the PPP congress. NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid has
\neven warned that many young PPP supporters would abandon the
\nparty in the next general election in 1997 and vote for the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party (PDI) instead.<\/p>\n
The congress saw the re-election of incumbent chairman Ismail
\nHasan Metareum for another five year term in spite of a vigorous
\nNU campaign to oust him.<\/p>\n
NU leaders, while not disputing his re-election, expressed
\ntheir grave disappointment over the fact that Ismail Hasan
\nignored their demand to have a say in the appointment of seven NU
\nfigures in the party's new central executive board.<\/p>\n
Ismail Hasan and the electoral council selected seven NU
\npoliticians of their own choice to the 21-strong executive board.
\nOne of them, Tosari Widjaja, was named secretary general, which
\nis considered the second most important post on the board.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman says the new board consists of a bunch of
\n"elitists lacking grass root support."<\/p>\n
Hasyim said the NU leaders in Java hope to come to a consensus
\non its political posture ahead of the 1997 election. "It's time
\nthat we forge a common stand and avoid being ordered about from
\nleft and right."<\/p>\n
He promised however that the NU leaders will look at the
\nissues objectively.<\/p>\n
The dissension being shown by NU revives the prospect of a
\nrepeat of the 1987 election when many NU ulemas urged their
\nsupporters to "deflate" the PPP and vote for the ruling political
\norganization Golkar or the PDI.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman served as a member of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) in the 1987-92 period representing Golkar but has
\nsince fallen out of favor with the ruling political group.<\/p>\n
NU, which boasts 35 million followers, mostly in rural Java,
\nformally severed its ties with the PPP in 1984 but many of its
\nleaders have remained loyal to the party which their organization
\nhelped found in 1973. But its has failed successive attempts to
\nwrest the PPP chairmanship away from the Muslimin Indonesia to
\nwhich Ismail Hasan belongs.<\/p>\n
Apolitical<\/p>\n
Hasyim said while NU remains essentially apolitical, it could
\nnot accept seeing NU politicians being insulted and harmed by the
\nPPP leadership.<\/p>\n
Responding to suggestions that NU give its support to PDI in
\nthe 1997 election, Hasyim said such an alliance could create an
\nexplosive political environment in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
He likened such an alliance to the PDI being a fuse while the
\nulemas an oil. "The meeting of the two elements is something
\ntotally new to Indonesian politics," he said.<\/p>\n
PPP leaders meanwhile have begun a quite campaign to mend
\nfences with NU.<\/p>\n
The Chief of the PPP executive board in East Java, Soeleiman
\nFadeli, for example, has been contacting influential NU leaders
\nin the province to urge them to accept the congress results,
\nAntara news agency reported.<\/p>\n
PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum has also sent envoys to a
\nnumber of senior NU ulemas named to the party's advisory board,
\nin particular Jusuf Hasjim, amidst suggestions that they were
\nturning down the offer.<\/p>\n
"He is considering the offer," Ismail Hasan said.<\/p>\n
He also warned Abdurrahman not to instigate party cadres to
\nabandon the party ahead of the 1997 election. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nu-plans-to-harmonize-its-position-on-ppp-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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