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)