Abdurrahman warns ulemas not to drag NU into PPP
Abdurrahman warns ulemas not to drag NU into PPP
JAKARTA (JP): Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Chairman Abdurrahman Wahid
warned some of his top leaders, who are busy discussing the
upcoming election of the United Development Party (PPP), not to
drag his Islamic organization into their political affairs.
"The law stipulates that NU is a religious organization while
PPP is a political organization. The two have no formal links
whatsoever," Abdurrahman was quoted by the Antara news agency as
saying yesterday.
"Anyone who suggests that PPP represents Islam is betraying
the law," he said.
His remarks came amidst increasing activity among many NU
politicians who sit on various PPP boards, who are preparing
their strategies to ensure that the PPP congress elects somebody
from NU in the elections scheduled for late August.
PPP, the second largest political party, is the result of a
fusion of four Islamic parties in 1972, the largest of which is
NU. NU, frustrated that the PPP leadership has always eluded
them, decided in 1984 to abandon party politics altogether and
concentrate their activity to the promotion of Islamic education.
However, with the PPP election approaching, many NU leaders
who have remained active in the PPP have tried once again to
muscle their way into the party's leadership, albeit without the
official blessing of Abdurrahman.
Capacity
"Politicians who happen to be NU members can indulge in
politics, but don't drag the organization into the party,"
Abdurrahman said.
He added that any NU leaders still active in the party are
there in their individual capacity.
In any case, there appeared to be a conflict even among NU
politicians about who they were going to nominate at the upcoming
PPP election, to contest the incumbent chairman Ismail Hasan
Metareum, who appears to have won the support of the government.
The contest for the NU nomination has now narrowed down to
Hamzah Haz (chairman of the PPP faction in the House of
Representatives), Matori Abdul Djalil (PPP Secretary General),
Karmani (A member of the Central Java Legislative Council
representing PPP) and Jusuf Hasjim (a senior NU politician and a
member of NU law making board).
A group of ulemas in East Java met in Surabaya early this week
and agreed to push for the candidacy of Jusuf Hasjim. (emb)