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)