Gus Dur may retain top NU post: Moerdiono

Gus Dur may retain top NU post: Moerdiono

JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said
yesterday that Abdurrahman Wahid "still has the chance" to retain
his post as chief of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest
Moslem organization.

Moerdiono said Gus Dur, as Abdurrahman is better known, still
had clout with the organization that claims to have more than 28
million members.

"His popularity largely comes from his controversial actions
and statements," Moerdiono told reporters after meeting with
members of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission II on
domestic affairs.

Gus Dur, who is seeking a third five-year term in office, has
often stunned observers and angered conservative Moslems with his
controversial statements and actions.

For instance in 1989, he provoked the wrath of a number of
Moslem leaders when he proposed that the Moslem's traditional
greeting Assalamu'alaikum be replaced with conventional ones in
the local language, like "good morning" or "good evening."

He also once received similar condemnation when he refused to
criticize author Salman Rushdie, whose book the Satanic Verses,
angered Moslem communities in the world, including those of
Indonesia.

Gus Dur's latest controversy was his proposal that the
Indonesian government establish diplomatic relations with Israel
after his visit to the Jewish state.

His statement was met with condemnation from less
"progressive" Moslems leaders who fiercely believe that
diplomatic ties with Israel will not be possible until the
Palestinian problem is resolved.

Under Gus Dur, NU made a breakthrough when it began
cooperating with the privately-run Bank Summa to start People's
Credit Bank. But following the bankruptcy of Bank Summa in 1992,
the project has not run as expected.

Moerdiono made it clear that the government had no intention
of meddling in the NU congress, which opens in the West Java town
of Tasikmalaya tomorrow. The organization will then elect its new
chairman.

"The government will let the congress elect the new leaders,"
he said, adding that the government contributed some Rp 500
million (US$228,102.19) for the event.

Moerdiono confirmed press reports that he met with Gus Dur in
his office recently. However, he declined to talk about what they
discussed.

The congress to take place from Dec. 1 through 5 will also
elect other members of the executive board and adopt the
organization's working programs for the coming five years.

On a separate occasion, Gus Dur advised the NU members to be
alert of their fellow colleagues trying to involve the
organization in politics again.

NU decided in 1984 to quit formal politics and return to its
original mission as a socio-religious organization, as its
founder intended in 1926.

One of the burning issues in the congress would be if NU
decided to abandon its 1984 commitment and again become a
political organization.

NU was merged into the United Development Party (PPP),
together with three other Moslem political parties in 1973, when
the government "simplified" political organizations by reducing
the number of national parties to three.

Several NU politicians who failed to snatch the chairmanship
of PPP in September have stuck to their demand that NU play
politics, arguing that the existing parties failed to represent
their interests.

Spearheaded by influential ulemas like Yusuf Hasyim and Alawy
Muhammad, both from East Java, they have proposed that Indonesia
form a new party. (imn/har)