Govt recognizes only one board of Nahdatul Ulama
Govt recognizes only one board of Nahdatul Ulama
JAKARTA (JP): Two senior cabinet ministers yesterday reaffirmed the government's support for Abdurrahman Wahid as chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), pouring cold water on earlier speculation that it was supporting his opponents who have been trying to unseat him.
Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudradjat and Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. on separate occasions told reporters that as far as they were concerned the last NU congress in Cipasung, West Java, in December 1994 was legitimate.
"The congress decided. Therefore everything was constitutional," Edi said as quoted by Antara as saying.
The same view was voiced by Yogie's spokesman H.S.A. Yusacc, according to the news agency.
The questions about the government's stand on Abdurrahman chairmanship surfaced again after his political foes, who established a rival board of the NU, announced their plan on Wednesday to hold a congress here from Jan. 17 through 18.
The rival board led by Abu Hasan, who lost the chairmanship race in the 1994 congress, insists that Abdurrahman's re-election was rigged and illegitimate. KPPNU was formed with the proclaimed intention of "rescuing" NU from prolonged leadership rifts.
Dasuki Adnan, a KPPNU member responsible for organizing next week's gathering, said an estimated 1,000 people will attend the congress, whose main agenda is to elect the leaders of the rival board and to draft working programs.
Dasuki claimed that Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher has agreed to open the meeting.
Tarmizi's office was not available to confirm or deny Dasuki's claim, but the announcement prompted general speculation that the government had given its blessing to Abu Hasan's attempt to unseat Abdurrahman.
It is no secret that Abdurrahman, a controversial and vocal critic of the government, has not been in good terms with the government. Since his re-election in December 1994, he had yet to have an audience with President Soeharto, a tradition in Indonesian politics symbolizing the head of state's approval.
Yusacc said to prove the government's stand on the state of affairs, the government will refuse issuing permit for KPPNU officials to hold the congress.
His threat however may be academic because since Jan. 1, the government had done away with the policy requiring organizations to secure police permit before holding mass gatherings.
Edi said KPPNU should respect the 1994 congress that re- elected Abdurrahman, because it was all legitimate. "Show respect. Everything was in line with NU's constitution."
Meanwhile, in the Central Java town of Jepara, Abdurrahman criticized what he sees as military's meddling in NU's internal affairs in West and East Java.
He said he has received persistent reports that West Java security officers have persuaded local NU members to attend next week's KPPNU congress.
"I strongly object to the Armed Forces (ABRI) individuals and government officials' meddling," he told The Jakarta Post.
Abdurrahman said he welcomed Edi Sudradjat's affirmation of the government's recognition of his leadership.
Edi has also asked ABRI members to stay out of NU's internal conflicts.
Abdurrahman said he hoped that West Java NU members would not buckle under the military pressure and retain their resolve to stick to the decisions taken by the 1994 congress.
Abdurrahman said similar military intervention within NU internal affairs is also taking place in East Java, where GP Ansor -- a youth organization under the NU -- will hold its local congress.
He said in East Java, some ABRI members have approached GP Ansor activists to elect figures that the military backs.
The East Java GP Ansor branch is scheduled to hold its congress from Jan. 12 through 14. (har/pan)