Gus Dur inaugurates new NU headquarters

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid inaugurated on Wednesday the new headquarters of Nahdlatul Ulama on Jl. Kramat Raya, Central Jakarta.

It took 18 months to finish the construction of the Rp 28.8 billion nine-story building and another 10 months to process the required permits and other administrative matters.

Abdurrahman was leader of the NU, the country's largest Muslim organization, for 15 years before he became President in 1999.

He said at the ceremony that he agreed with the idea that the NU should not get involved in practical politics, but he added that it should fight to uphold democracy.