Gus Dur, Abu Hasan advised to reconcile

Gus Dur, Abu Hasan advised to reconcile

DEMAK, Central Java (JP): Moslem activists are getting tired
of the dragging leadership rift within the 30 million-member
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) organization.

Moslem activists affiliated with the ruling political group
Golkar suggested yesterday that NU chief Abdurrahman Wahid and
his arch-rival Abu Hasan bury the hatchet once and for all.

They suggested that Gus Dur, as Abdurrahman is affectionately
called, and Abu forgive one another and solve their dispute out
of court.

"Gus Dur and Abu Hasan should extend each other's hand for
apology. We sincerely hope that they bury their rivalry for the
organization's good," said activist Slamet Effendy Yusuf.

Slamet, a former chairman of Ansor -- a youth organization
under NU, is known as a critic of Gus Dur, who is known for his
controversial political and religious views.

The conflict began after Gus Dur accused Abu, his strongest
contender who received the government's backing in the NU
election in 1994, of receiving US$18 million in kickbacks in a
Jakarta port project.

Abu, known as a successful entrepreneur, has sought to solve
the dispute in court, but there has been no fixed date as when
the trial will open.

Observers say that the move to bring Gus Dur to court has the
blessing from some officials in the government who want to see
him replaced with a figure who has better relations with the
bureaucracy.

When meeting with NU activists here yesterday, Slamet warned
that the prolonged conflict could hurt the organization's
reputation.

"We hope that the top-level rivalry won't affect the (NU's)
branches in the provinces and boarding schools across the
country," he said.

Slamet said that although he is personally opposed to Gus
Dur's views on democracy and development, he could ignore these
differences for the sake of NU's reputation. (har/pan)