Abdurrahman supports NU change of guard
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid revealed on Tuesday that a group of influential Muslim clerics kyais are demanding a snap Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) congress that could lead to the ouster of current chairman Hasyim Muzadi.
Speaking at NU headquarters on Jl. Kramat Raya, Central Jakarta, Gus Dur said he had held separate meetings with the kyais, including Abdurahman Chudori of Tegalrejo, Yogyakarta and Kyai Ahmad Subadar of Pasuruan, East Java, during which they insisted that Hasyim be replaced.
"These kyais demanded that Pak Hasyim be replaced, but I don't know who will be nominated to the position. I myself, have no grudge with Pak Hasyim ... so, let the kyais decide," Gus Dur said.
Gus Dur did not elaborate on the reason for the urgency of Hasyim's replacement, but the issue has added to the silent conflict between the former president and NU that dates back to last year when the country's largest Muslim organization failed to help Gus Dur fight the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which dismissed him from the top executive post.
Hasyim replaced Gus Dur as NU chairman in a congress in 1999 and his term will expire in 2004.
Sources close to NU said that Gus Dur, who remains influential within the Muslim organization, was also planning to replace his uncle Zahal Mahfudz as chairman of NU's board of patrons with his deputy Fachruddin Mastura, while expecting to fill the vacant post left by Fachruddin.
The demand for an extraordinary congress was met with stiff opposition from NU executives, including secretary-general Masduki Badlawi and Syaifullah Yusuf, chairman of NU's youth wing Anshor.
Speaking to The Jakarta Post separately on Tuesday, both Masduki and Syaifullah said that any dispute between NU figures should be settled in the forum of kyai or NU executive plenary meeting, instead of a congress.
Masduki said that no congress could be called based on personal interests.
"If Gus Dur insists on engineering a snap congress to replace several NU executives, he must provide evidence of their mistakes, such as corruption," Masduki said.
"The meeting must receive approval from all NU kyais, as well as the NU law making body Syuriah," Masduki said.
Masduki said Hasyim had done nothing wrong so far. On the contrary, under Hasyim's leadership, NU has emerged as an organization which engages in positive relationships with other institutions, including Muhammadyah, Masduki added.
"If Hasyim is seen as reluctant to directly support PKB, it must be viewed as an effort to keep NU free from political involvement, which would otherwise jeopardize its principle of impartiality," Masduki said.
Separately, Syaifullah implied that the plan to hold an extraordinary congress came from several PKB executives.
"There is no reason to hold an extraordinary congress. Experience teaches us that internal disputes within NU have never prompted a snap congress," he said.
A reliable source also told the Post that several figures in the party have tried to lure mass support from the organization to ensure a win for PKB in the 2004 general election. According to him, Gus Dur, a charismatic figure, also has ambitions for the presidency.