Gus Dur back home, PKB ready to nominate him

Gus Dur back home, PKB ready to nominate him

JAKARTA (JP): The National Awakening Party (PKB) is getting
ready to call a leadership meeting to discuss the formal
launching of Abdurrahman Wahid as its presidential candidate now
that the party's patron is home from eye surgery in the U.S.

Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, arrived Thursday morning
from Salt Lake City, Utah, where he underwent cosmetic surgery on
his eyelids. The procedure was part of an eye treatment of which
the results would determine the party's further moves.

PKB deputy chairman Alwi Shihab told The Jakarta Post that
some party elders called on the executive board to name
Abdurrahman their presidential candidate before the June 7
elections, regardless of the results of the treatment.

"These aspirations will be discussed with him soon," Shihab
said.

Party leaders said earlier if Abdurrahman regains his
eyesight, they would formally name him presidential candidate.
Abdurrahman, who is the chairman of Indonesia's largest Muslim
organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and is supported by 30 million
followers, said he would run and win the presidency if he could
see again.

Abdurrahman had been suffering from eyesight problems for
years, and told his aides that things looked "blurry" to him.

Shihab, however, added PKB would likely name its candidate
after the elections, because "Gus Dur actually has yet to
(formally) announce his intention to become president."

"This is something that needs to be clarified and discussed
thoroughly," Shihab said, adding that Abdurrahman is healthy.

"He is cheerful and sharp as usual. The cosmetics surgery on
his eyelids is to widen and 'open' his eyeballs. Now he has to
wait for further treatment. There's hope he will recuperate
soon," he said.

A special team consisting of five doctors will carefully
monitor his progress, Shihab said.

"Abdurrahman and some PKB leaders are scheduled to leave
Sunday for Jepara, Central Java. We will have a meeting with
locals and PKB officials there," he added.

Security authorities in Central Java urged Thursday for Gus
Dur to postpone his visit to the city, which was still tense
following a clash between PKB supporters and those of the United
Development Party (PPP) which killed four people and injured
scores.

H. Achmad, a Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) official in Semarang, the
capital of Central Java, urged Abdurrahman to come to Jepara
instead as chairman of the religious organization rather than as
a PKB patron.

This was a precaution against a possible repeat of the
clashes, and could even help the two parties reconcile, he said.

Achmad further said Nahdlatul Ulama members who happened to be
supporters of PPP may be upset if Abdurrahman insisted on coming
just for a PKB gathering on Sunday, and if this was the case,
Abdurrahman should then postpone the gathering until the tension
subsided.

"We are not against his visit, but it would be better if it's
postponed. When the situation becomes calm again, Gus Dur is
welcome," he said.

Central Java's Muslim figures from both PPP and PKB met and
agreed on Wednesday evening to curb violence.

"The political conflict in Central Java that involved PPP and
PKB supporters in Jepara was tragic. We hope it won't happen
again," Achmad said.

The meeting, held at the house of the Provincial Military
Chief Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo, was attended by Governor
Mardiyanto, Police Chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi, PPP provincial
chapter chairman Thoyfoer, PKB provincial chapter chairman Nur
Iskandar Al-Barsany, provincial chapter chairman of the
Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) Sahal Mahfud and several
others. Achmad helped mediate the meeting.

An agreement to help maintain security and order during the
campaigning between May 19 and June 4 was signed Thursday in the
capital city of Ujungpandang by 47 political parties in South
Sulawesi.

Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Mudji Santoso who witnessed
the signing said: "We hope through this signing the situation in
South Sulawesi will be orderly and safe during the electioneering
up to the general election." (27/38/aan/edt/har/rms)