Gen. Feisal tells NU to manage conflicts

By Santi WE Soekanto and Petty Prihartini

TASIKMALAYA, West Java (JP): Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung told Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) yesterday that among its roles in society, one is to manage conflicts from within and also in society.

Addressing the largest Moslem organization's congress yesterday, Feisal asked NU members to sharpen their ability to discern conflicting interests and to avoid those harmful to the organization.

"In a democratic situation, competition and differing opinions normally occur ... when these differences create conflicts among NU members, then the organization itself should try to manage alone," he said.

He pointed out that in many instances, mass organizations fail to function as managers of conflict. In this situation, various "internal factors" could threaten the organization's existence.

"NU members should be aware of the various interests and able to differentiate which of them are beneficial for NU," he told some 3,000 participating ulemas from the organization's 26 provincial branches and over 250 offices at regency level.

Feisal also told NU, as an institution within the nation's political infrastructure, to abide by the state's political system, which is based on the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

"We have to realize that a weak mass organization, as an infrastructure body, will affect the nation's development progress," he said. This is because "political infrastructure is a component of the whole Pancasila democracy", he said.

"Therefore, infrastructure bodies need to improve their quality...in order to help support the nation's development efforts," he said.

Feisal's briefing reflected the government's wish for NU to effectively deal with its own problems while remaining within the existing political system. It also addressed the situation of the ulemas and their conflicting concerns about future leaders.

During yesterday's lively plenary sessions, representatives of the 26 provincial branches announced that they could accept the accountability speech of the outgoing chairman of the Tanfidzyah (executive board) of NU, Abdurrahman Wahid.

Some of them also openly threw their support behind some candidates, and met with various reactions from the floor.

At least three provincial branches from NU, Riau, Irian Jaya and East Java, have called for the re-election of Abdurrahman Wahid to the Tanfidzyah chairmanship.

"We nominate Gus Dur (Wahid) as chairman of executive board of NU," the East Java representative said to loud applause from the floor.

Leader

"Nahdlatul Ulama needs a leader who is a solidarity maker, a good organizer and who has innovative ideas," the representative said. "We want him to lead NU, but on the conditions that he won't engage in a one-man show any longer, and that he will build good teamwork with other leaders."

Representatives from West Sumatra and South Kalimantan declared they would prefer Abu Hasan, a leading member of NU and a businessman, for chairman. The floor, however, booed.

"Abu Hasan meets the four criteria of a good leader," announced the West Sumatran representative. "He's democratic, trustworthy, a good Moslem, and a practical man."

"Besides, Abu Hasan is not an ambitious man," the ulema said, adding that Abu Hasan should be accompanied by senior ulemas, K.H. Idham Chalid and K.H. Ilyas Ruhiat, in leading the organization.

As for the position of Rais Aam (chairman) of the Syuriyah (law-making body), East Javanese representatives proposed that the congress elect K.H. Ahmad Sahal Mahfud as Rois Aam and K.H. Ilyas Ruhiat, the outgoing acting Rais Aam, as deputy chairman.

"Both men are solidarity makers, and have no (political) interests," the ulema who represented 42 branches at regency level, said. "They have both struggled to bring NU back to its original mission, as a religious educational organization."

East Java, by far the largest group, also praised both Ilyas and Sahal for protecting the organization from conflicting external forces in the political arena.

The representative from West Nusa Tenggara province touched one of the most fundamental problems when he said that the next leaders should be able to move NU from its long-time marginal position in society to the center of the nation.

"The next NU leaders should be able to build good relations with the government," he said.

During the plenary meetings yesterday, the congress also received briefings from Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro, and Minister of Population Haryono Suyono.