Gus Dur drops breakaway plan

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