Gus Dur says will run for presidency

Gus Dur says will run for presidency

The Jakarta Post, Tuban/Kediri/Jakarta

Defying the strict General Elections Commission (KPU)
adjudication on the health requirement for presidential
candidates and throwing a wrench into the Golkar machinery,
cofounder of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Abdurrahman "Gus
Dur" Wahid declared on Sunday he would enter the race.

Emerging from a two-hour meeting with dozens the top brass of
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) influential clerics from Langitan Islamic
boarding school in the East Java town of Tuban, Gus Dur said the
clerics or kyai khos had thrown their support behind his bid in
the July 5 direct presidential election.

"We all have agreed that I will register as a presidential
candidate because justice in our legal system still has a chance.
However, if I fail there will definitely be another candidate
from PKB," Gus Dur announced.

He remains optimistic that the KPU will be required to allow
him to run.

Gus Dur is scheduled to register as the PKB presidential
candidate with the commission on Monday. The registration process
will close on Wednesday.

KPU will announce the results of the administrative screening
for the candidates between May 8 and May 14.

Among the influential NU figures present at the Tuban meeting
were revered cleric Abdullah Faqih from Langitan, Muhaimin from
Central Java, Chotib Umar from Jember. Two clerics, Sopyan from
Situbondo, East Java and Abdullah Abbas from Cirebon, West Java,
were absent, but expressed their support over the telephone.

PKB deputy chairman Mahfud MD, who was part of a nine-member
team authorized to handle the party's presidential bid, said that
apart from endorsing Gus Dur, they named Golkar Party member
Marwah Daud Ibrahim, former House of Representatives legislator
from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction
Sophan Sophiaan and United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK)
leader Ryaas Rasyid as potential vice presidential candidates for
the former president, whose last vice president was Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

Mahfud also said the clerics had approved the nomination of
PKB figures Alwi Shihab, Mohammad AS Hikam, Khofifah Indar
Parawansa and himself as alternative presidential candidates as
well as delaying a decision on Gus Dur's brother's candidacy with
Golkar and Wiranto.

"If the KPU finally disqualifies Gus Dur, only then will we
endorse Solahuddin Wahid as the running mate of Wiranto," he
said, referring to the Golkar Party's presidential candidate,
whose candidacy was dealt a severe blow after Gus Dur's latest
move.

On Friday, Chief Justice Bagir Manan upheld the controversial
Supreme Court decision favoring the KPU's restrictions on the
health requirement, saying he had no power to review it.

Earlier last week, Abdurrahman said he would not run after
being informed by his lawyers that the court had turned down
PKB's request for a judicial review of the KPU ruling.

The party said the ruling violated the Constitution by
discriminating against the disabled, including Gus Dur, who is
visually impaired.

In Jakarta, Solahuddin said he fully supported the nomination
of his elder brother Gus Dur as PKB's presidential candidate and
would wait for the KPU's decision on Gus Dur's candidacy before
he could accept the offer from Golkar.

In a related development, in Lirboyo, Kediri, East Java scores
of other NU clerics demanded the NU central board to immediately
issue an edict that would provide guidance for the NU's 40
million members who were still confused about who to vote for.

The clerics, including host Idris Marzuki of Lirboyo Islamic
boarding school, Nur Iskandar SQ from Assidiqiyah boarding school
in Jakarta, Warsum Munawir from Krapyak in Yogyakarta and Muchid
Muzadi, the older brother of president Megawati Soekarnoputri's
running mate Hasyim Muzadi, said the edict would be very useful
for NU members to get a clearer picture about the presidential
race.