Thu, 03 Nov 1994

Gus Dur gathers support to retain NU post

JAKARTA (JP): The chief of Nahdlatul Ulama Abdurrahman Wahid, Indonesia's largest socio-educational organization, has secured enough support to retain the top NU spot.

The supporters of Gus Dur, as he is popularly known, say that his leadership style, a blend of intellectual and religious outlooks, is relevant to meet the future challenges facing NU.

The 34 million member organization will elect its new board of executives in its upcoming congress in the West Java town of Tasikmalaya, West Java, early next month.

Matori Abdul Djalil, a senior NU member, said that the socio- educational organization currently has no leader better than Gus Dur.

"Gus Dur has successfully made NU the heart and mind of the nation and he still deserves the post," Matori told journalists on Monday.

Matori, a legislator representing the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP), said Abdurrahman's leadership style and his vision are still relevant.

"I am sure he (Abdurrahman) will be re-elected unless there is external intervention," said the former PPP secretary general.

Matori said Abdurrahman has cleverly changed NU from an organization that tends primarily to Moslem interests into one which puts the national interests above all.

Some NU leaders in the provinces have also voiced their support for Abdurrahman's re-election. Chief of Central Sulawesi's NU chapter, Rajulaeni Lahamado, is one of those.

"Gus Dur is our number one candidate because we like his leadership style," he told Antara.

Perfect

He said Abdurrahman is the perfect example of a future Moslem leader who meets the criteria of being religious, knowledgeable and in possession of unquestionable nationalistic commitment.

"A Moslem figure of his caliber is hard to find," he said.

He added, however, that Central Sulawesi has three alternative candidates that he would field in the congress in case Abdurrahman refuses to run for chairmanship for whatever reason. They are Khalid Mawardi, Abdu Hasan and Fahmi Saifuddin.

Meanwhile, ulemas from various provinces are split on whether the congress should review its 1984 policy to withdraw from formal politics and refocus its activities on socio-educational missions.

Several senior ulemas interested in pushing the former political party back into politics have insisted that the congress review its policies.

But others, including Abdurrahman, reject the demand on the grounds that NU should focus on its socio-educational mission, as its founders intended in 1926. Each member is free to affiliate with the political party of their choice.

The West Java NU chapter chairman Dudung Abdul Halim is among those who oppose the proposal to review the 1984 no-politics policy. (pan)