Rival NU leader announces his executive board<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Undeterred by remarks from senior government
\nofficials, who insist that his election as NU chairman last week
\nis illegitimate, Abu Hasan announced the lineup of his executive
\nboard yesterday.<\/p>\n
Fulfilling the promise he made shortly after being elected
\nchairman at the NU congress he organized last week, Abu announced
\nthe complete list of his board.<\/p>\n
Last week's congress also named Abdul Hamid Baidhowi as chief
\nof the Syuriah, NU's highest law-making body.<\/p>\n
Beside reaffirming their own selection, the five-member
\nelectoral committee -- chaired by Abu -- named the personnel in
\nits nine-member advisory council.<\/p>\n
Abu, a businessman who narrowly lost the chairmanship race to
\nAbdurrahman Wahid at the official NU congress in December 1994,
\nwill be seconded by 10 deputies.<\/p>\n
Baidhowi, whose law-making body is structurally the most
\npowerful, has seven deputies -- all preachers well-known in their
\nrespective hometowns.<\/p>\n
The Jan. 17 congress, attended by about 500 rebel NU
\nactivists, drew the wrath of Abdurrahman Wahid, the legitimate NU
\nchairman. He has threatened to punish the rebels.<\/p>\n
The congress also sparked widespread criticism of the
\ngovernment for doing nothing to stop it. Some senior officials
\nassured Abdurrahman's leadership would be publicly recognized.<\/p>\n
The electoral board's decree stated that the new executive
\nboard was a "correction" of Abdurrahman's leadership.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the debate among Moslem leaders over the
\ngovernment's offer to mediate in the Abu-Abdurrahman leadership
\nconflict continued to rage yesterday.<\/p>\n
Amien Rais, who chairs Muhammadiyah -- a reformist Islamic
\ngroup that focuses on education -- argued that government
\nmediation is not what NU needs.<\/p>\n
"The best solution would be to let NU members solve the
\nproblem. They know what to do," he told journalists in the
\nCentral Java capital of Semarang.<\/p>\n
The offer of arbitration was made by Minister of Religious
\nAffairs Tarmizi Taher last week.<\/p>\n
Amien said that intervention by a third party would only delay
\na solution to the problem plaguing the 70-year-old NU. The
\norganization claims to have 30 million members nationwide.<\/p>\n
"As an old organization, NU should have leaders mature enough
\nto seek the most sensible way to end the rift," said the expert
\nin Middle East Affairs at Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University.<\/p>\n
Noer Iskandar Albarsany, a member of Abdurrahman's law-making
\nbody, urged punitive action against Abu Hasan and his supporters.<\/p>\n
The rebels should be stripped of their positions in the legal
\nNU board and then fired from the organization for good, said the
\nrespected Moslem preacher from Central Java.<\/p>\n
Their big sin, Noer said, was to hold the congress and set up
\nthe rival board.<\/p>\n
"Before leaving for Jakarta (to attend the congress), some
\nactivists told me on the phone they just wanted to attend an
\ninformal get-together. I was truly dismayed to hear that the
\ngathering changed into an extraordinary meeting," Noer said.<\/p>\n
According to Noer, NU members across the country are anxious
\nto see Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. keep his word
\nand punish Abu Hasan.<\/p>\n
"I hope the minister will put what he has said into practice.
\nI was relieved when he agreed that what Abu Hasan did was
\nillegal," Noer said.<\/p>\n
He warned that failure will put the government's credibility
\nat risk and deepen the internal conflict.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta-based Communication Forum for the NU Young
\nGeneration has publicly pledged its support of Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Forum coordinator Amsal Dulmanan said the internal conflict is
\nowing to the political elite jostling for position before the
\n1998 change in national leadership.<\/p>\n
Kahar Badjuri, a political observer form Semarang's Diponegoro
\nUniversity, defended Noer's statement. "The public is anxious to
\nsee the government punish rival NU activists." (pan\/har)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rival-nu-leader-announces-his-executive-board-1447893297",
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