Government asked to clarify stance on NU
Government asked to clarify stance on NU
By Haryoso
SEMARANG (JP): A political observer and an ulema are calling on the government to clarify its stance on the chairmanship conflict in Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Moslem organization.
Kahar Badjuri of Diponegoro University and Noer Iskandar Albarsany, member at the Syuriah (law-making body) at NU, agreed that the public is waiting to see whether the government will take punitive action against dissenters who established a rival executive board. Only by such action can the government convince the public of its sincerity when it declared that it recognized Abdurrahman Wahid as the rightful chairman, Kahar said.
"The public, especially members of NU, are waiting for when the government will make good of its promise to punish Abu Hasan who established the rival board when the Ministry of Home Affairs has declared its recognition of Abdurrahman's board," Kahar told The Jakarta Post.
Noer Iskandar said the NU members had been relieved when Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. recently said the establishment of the rival board was a violation of rules.
"Now we're hoping that Minister Yogie really takes action against the dissenters," Noer Iskandar said. "Otherwise, conflicts will only grow."
He reminded the government that rifts in the 30-million strong organization would be harmful to the whole society. He also called on other leaders of NU to take punitive action against the dissenting members. "They should be dismissed," he said.
The same call was made by Niam Sukri, chairman of NU youth wing, GP Ansor, in Central Java. "The youths of NU are waiting for the government to keep its promise," he said. "Otherwise, the government runs the risk of confusing NU members."
Abu Hasan, who lost the chairmanship election to incumbent Abdurrahman Wahid at the organization's congress in Dec. 1994, held an extraordinary congress last month and established a rival board.
He managed to gather some 500 participants claiming to represent 23 regional branches and 225 units at regency level, and get himself elected chairman of the Tanfidziyah (executive board) of NU.
Outspoken ulema K.H. Hamid Baidlawi was elected chairman of the Syuriah, a position which, in Abdurrahman's board, is held by respected ulema K.H. Ilyas Ruchyat.
Abu Hasan, an affluent businessman, pointed out that his was not a rival board; it was, instead, the legitimate board because Abdurrahman's board was produced in a rigged election.
Meanwhile, reports circulated yesterday that some local chapters of NU have started to retaliate against members participating in the illegal congress. Baidlawi, for instance, has been dismissed from his post at the unit leadership of Lasem district, Central Java.
The central executive board set the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan last week as the deadline for the dissenters to return to the fold. Abu Hasan has so far ignored it, proceeding with installing members to his board.
Chairman Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, told RCTI private television station yesterday that the deadline was flexible. Besides, he said, the board has yet to call a meeting to discuss what kind of punishment will be meted out.