NU sets up new political party<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's largest Islamic organization,
\nNahdlatul Ulama (NU), has announced the establishment of the
\nPartai Kebangkitan Bangsa (National Awakening Party) to give
\nvoice to the political aspirations of its members.<\/p>\n
The party will welcome people from any religion.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of the Syuriyah (law-making body), K.H. Ma'ruf
\nAmin, said in a media conference yesterday that the existing
\npolitical organizations had ignored the presence of NU as a
\nstrong political element in the country.<\/p>\n
\"NU members need to have a political party of their own
\nbecause there have been no political forces able or willing to
\naccommodate their aspirations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
NU was established in 1926 as a socio-religious organization
\nand now boasts 40 million members. It was formerly a powerful
\npolitical party before merging with three other Moslem parties to
\nform the United Development Party (PPP) in 1973.<\/p>\n
In 1984, when chairman Abdurrahman Wahid took the helm from
\nIdham Chalid, NU severed its formal ties with the PPP and has
\nsince avoided party politics. Many senior NU figures have
\ncontinued to work for the PPP on an individual basis, but others
\nhave joined Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).<\/p>\n
Ma'ruf, who chairs a five-member team responsible for
\noverseeing the party's establishment, said it would be
\nindependent from NU. He added that the decision had been taken in
\nresponse to growing calls for the organization to reenter the
\npolitical fray.<\/p>\n
\"It's better for NU to establish one big political party than
\nto have many small NU-oriented parties,\" he said. The decision to
\nset up the party was reached in a meeting of NU leaders in
\nBandung, West Java, on May 5.<\/p>\n
The first call for an NU party was raised by the
\norganization's South Sulawesi chapter on May 22, one day after
\npresident Soeharto announced his resignation. Other chapters soon
\nfollowed suit and several even went on to establish their own
\nparties.<\/p>\n
The Cirebon chapter in West Java established Partai
\nKebangkitan Umat (The Moslem Community Awakening Party), while
\nthe Purwokerto chapter established Partai Bintang Sembilan (The
\nNine-Star Party). The symbol of NU is nine stars surrounding a
\nglobe.<\/p>\n
The smaller parties have indicated that they would dissolve
\nand join any party established by the organization's executive
\nboard.<\/p>\n
\"Officials of the Moslem Community Awakening Party and the
\nNine-Star Party have told me they will join us,\" said Arifin
\nJunaidi, chairman of a nine-member team set up to assist the
\nfive-member team carry out their duties.<\/p>\n
A formal declaration establishing the party will be issued
\nfrom the residence of NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid tomorrow,
\nafter which the complete lineup of its board will be revealed.<\/p>\n
A number of influential retired generals and 100 Chinese-
\nIndonesians have been invited to attend.<\/p>\n
Names tipped for inclusion in the lineup include former PPP
\nsecretary-general Matori Abdul Jalil as chairman. The post of
\nsecretary-general is expected to go to Muhaimin Iskandar.<\/p>\n
Ma'ruf Amin has been tipped to lead the party's supervisory
\ncouncil and K.H. Cholil Bisri, a leading NU figure in Central
\nJava, is expected to be his deputy.<\/p>\n
Asked about the new party's chances in the next general
\nelection, Ma'ruf said he was confident it would secure a
\nsignificant share of the votes.<\/p>\n
\"We took second position after Golkar when we secured 18.67
\npercent of the votes in the 1971 general election, despite strong
\npressure on our members to vote for the ruling political
\norganization,\" he said, in reference to the time when the old NU
\nparty was still contesting general elections.<\/p>\n
The People's Awakening Party is only the latest edition to a
\ngrowing number of new parties set up over the past months in
\nanticipation of a new law on political parties.<\/p>\n
For nearly three decades the government kept a tight reign on
\npolitical activities and only allowed Golkar, PPP and PDI to
\ncontest general elections.<\/p>\n
But since the resignation of former president Soeharto last
\nMay, the government has loosened its grip and allowed people to
\nform political parties at will.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said last week that 42
\nnew political parties had now been established and registered at
\nhis office. However, the government has yet to formally recognize
\nany of them. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nu-sets-up-new-political-party-1447893297",
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