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.