Government issues permit for NU national conference
Government issues permit for NU national conference
JAKARTA (JP): The government has given the go-ahead to the
planned national conference of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem
organization, ending widespread speculation over whether it would
gain approval.
The director-general of sociopolitical affairs at the Home
Affairs Ministry, Achdary, said yesterday the government had
issued the permit for the conference.
"There is no problem with NU's proposal to organize a national
conference. They can go ahead with the plan," he told reporters
in his office yesterday.
The five-yearly conference will be held in the West Nusa
Tenggara capital of Mataram from Nov. 17 to Nov. 21.
Achdary's statement ended speculation that it would be
difficult for the NU central board to gain government permission
to hold the congress.
Under Indonesian law, organizations must have government
approval to organize such an activity.
A senior NU figure, Abu Hasan, said Wednesday that he and his
followers would boycott the conference as none of his faction was
invited to the NU leadership meeting.
Abu called on the authorities to postpone issuing the permit
on the grounds that the conference could disrupt NU's unity and
the nation's political stability, especially with the general
meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) approaching.
Abu lost the chairmanship race at the 1994 congress in
Cipasung, West Java, to incumbent Abdurrahman Wahid. After he was
excluded from Abdurrahman's leadership, he established a rival
organization, the Coordinating Board for NU's Executive Board
(KPPNU) in January last year.
Achdary warned yesterday that the government would take firm
action against any effort to disturb the conference. But he did
not expect Abu's camp would commit disruptive acts which would be
unconstitutional.
He also confirmed that the government would stick to the
result of NU's 1994 congress. "The result of the 1994 congress
was legitimate and Abdurrahman's NU leadership was
constitutional," he said.
He further promised that the government would not interfere
with NU's internal affairs. "NU should settle its internal
dispute on its own. And I believe they can," he said.
Nahdlatul Ulama, which means "the revival of ulemas", was
established on Jan. 31, 1926. Two of its founders were K.H.
Hasyim Asy'ari, Abdurrahman's grandfather and ulema K.H. Wahab
Hasbullah.
NU became a political party in 1952 and was one of four
parties that merged to form the United Development Party (PPP) in
1973. (imn)