Gus Dur drops breakaway plan

A glimpse of peace has prevailed in the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) as former President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid said on Sunday he had accepted the chairmanship of Hasyim Muzadi in the country's largest Muslim organization.

Gus Dur, who was, along with Masdar Farid Mas'udi, nominated as chairman of NU's lawmaking body and chairman of NU's executive body, lost to the pair of Sahal Mahfud and Hasyim Muzadi in the NU congress in Boyolali, Central Java, in November last year.

"There is no rigid stance, but a reconciliation. This means that we have apologized to them," said Gus Dur, who is also chairman of the supervisory board of the National Awakening Party (PKB), in a ceremony at Ampel grand mosque in Surabaya, East Java.

Supported by NU youth, Gus Dur had rejected Hasyim's leadership, accusing the later of turning the Muslim organization toward politics.

Hasyim was the running mate for Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's presidential candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri in the unprecedented direct election last year. They lost to the ticket of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla in the runoff.

Gus Dur said he could not make peace immediately after the NU congress, saying at that time many NU clerics lost their temper after Hasyim was reelected.

"Unlike them, I was back to work in NU office shortly after the congress and nothing wrong has happened until now. It's impossible for people who share an office to fight or even to spread gossips about each other," Gus Dur said.

Although Gus Dur is no longer part of the NU structure, Hasyim allows him to occupy a room in the organization's office on Jl. Kramat Raya, Central Jakarta. Hasyim was elected NU chairman for the first time in 2000, replacing Gus Dur who had won the presidency. -- Antara