Govt won't interfere in NU affairs

Govt won't interfere in NU affairs

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto assured the conflict-ridden
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) that the government would not take steps
which might sacrifice Indonesia's largest Moslem organization.

"There's not even a shred of intention on the part of the
government to sacrifice it," Soeharto said yesterday, referring
to the ongoing leadership conflict within the 30-million strong
organization.

"The government would not interfere with NU's internal
affairs, either, but would be willing to help (solve) conflicts
within this religious organization," Soeharto was quoted by
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher as saying.

Tarmizi met with Soeharto when returning to duty after several
weeks of sick leave. He said the NU rift was the focus of his
meeting with Soeharto.

Meanwhile, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Hartono said in Pontianak,
West Kalimantan, that the NU leaders should resolve their
conflicts in the spirit of ukhuwah Islamiyah (Moslem
brotherhood).

"If the conflicts are allowed to linger, they will worsen and
eventually divide the ummat (community) and create national
instability," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

The Ministry of Home Affairs reiterated that the government
only recognizes the leadership board led by Abdurrahman Wahid
which was formed in the December 1994 congress.

Sutoyo NK, the director-general for social and political
affairs at the ministry, also stated the government's refusal to
recognize the board established by Abdurrahman's foe, Abu Hasan.

The conflict first erupted in the Cipasung congress, during
which Abdurrahman beat Abu Hasan by a slim margin in the
chairmanship election.

After he was excluded from Abdurrahman's executive board, Abu
established last January a rival board which he called KPPNU --
the coordinating board for NU's executive board.

Despite lacking police permits, the KPPNU convened an
extraordinary congress here on Wednesday. It elected Abu Hasan as
chairman of the board which now "formally" bears the same name as
Abdurrahman's, which is the PBNU.

The congress also elected a five-member team which will meet
soon to establish the full lineup of the board, according to
Yanuar and Syafruddin of the new board's secretariat.

Abu, a wealthy businessman, reportedly enjoyed the
government's support in his quest for the NU chairmanship. He
said on Wednesday he was sure the government would recognize the
board produced at the extraordinary congress.

Abdurrahman Wahid, however, said he was sure the government
does not support Abu Hasan.

"Only certain individuals (within the government) support
him," he told The Jakarta Post in Solo, Central Java, on
Wednesday. "The legitimacy of an organization is not determined
by whether there are officials who support it, but whether its
followers do."

"What's the good of having the support of government
officials, if the NU members don't support (them)?" he said.

"(Abu Hasan's) board is no serious threat to NU. It's
nothing," said the controversial ulema, who is more popularly
known as Gus Dur.

Two other NU leaders, Ahmad Bagdja and Arifin Junaidi,
strongly protested Abu Hasan's move. Arifin said that members who
are dissatisfied with the 1994 congress should have waited and
bring their grievances to the next congress in 1999.

Chairman of the influential Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI)
Hasan Basri expressed regrets over the conflicts, and suggested
that leaders of the two camps reconcile.

"NU is a religious organization, they should solve problems in
ways which are in line with religious teachings," he said.

Political observers Maswadi Rauf and Afan Gaffar warned
against negative ramifications of the conflicts.

Afan said that whoever tried "to ruin NU" ran the risk of also
damaging national unity. "Its large membership, scattered
throughout the country, is an invaluable asset in our efforts to
maintain national integrity," he said.

"The government should have acted more swiftly to nip the
conflicts in the bud and prevent Abu Hasan from staging the
congress," he said.

"This is really damaging for the domestic political
development," Maswadi was quoted by Antara as saying.

Nahdlatul Ulama, whose name means "the revival of ulemas", was
established on Jan. 31, 1926. Two of its founders were K.H.
Hasyim Asy'ari, the grandfather of Abdurrahman Wahid, and K.H.
Wahab Hasbullah.

It became a political party in 1952, and was one of four
parties that in 1973 merged to form the United Development Party
(PPP). (swe/01/har)