Gus Dur tipped to take to NU post again

Gus Dur tipped to take to NU post again

JAKARTA (JP): The Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) opens its national
congress in Tasikmalaya, West Java, today to decide on its
leadership, which will play a crucial role in deciding where the
country's largest Moslem organization stands politically.

Ironically, in their drive to keep NU out of party politics,
the majority of ulemas (scholars) taking part in the congress
favor the reelection of the incumbent chairman Abdurrahman
Wahid.

Popularly known as Gus Dur, he is perhaps the most
controversial figure in Indonesian politics and now the most
ardent critic of the government.

The government gave its strong support in 1984 when NU decided
to severe its relations with the United Development Party and
return to its original mission, as stated by NU founders in 1926,
to promote the welfare and education of the Moslem masses.

However, NU, with its 30 million followers, remains a portent
organization that no political force, including the government,
can ignore. With a general election less than three years away
and the likely succession of President Soeharto the following
year, NU could become a major trump card for any political force.

Today, the government is again giving its support to NU,
politically and logistically to ensure a successful congress.

President Soeharto will travel to the Cipasung pesantren
(Moslem boarding school) to open the congress, something which he
rarely does for other groups. Usually, with other organizations'
congresses, he opens them at the Presidential Palace. Other
government officials have been invited, and have agreed, to
address the five-day congress. The central government and the
West Java Provincial Administration are footing a large part of
the bill to stage the congress. One report put the total costs at
Rp 2 billion ($952,000).

While the ulemas taking part in the congress will deliberate
on religious and social issues as well as organizational matters,
there's no doubt that the chairmanship issue is by far the most
important, to NU and outsiders also.

The majority of ulemas who favor Gus Dur's reelection as
chairman of the executive board say his leadership is still
crucial to keep NU on its "non-political" course, especially in
view of pressures from inside and outside to drag the
organization back into the political arena.

Gus Dur was first elected chairman at the 1984 congress in
Situbondo, East Java, after he successfully campaigned to take NU
out of party politics and return it to the 1926 Khittah (spirit).
He was reelected five years later at the congress in Yogyakarta.
Now he looks almost certain to stay at the helm for a third term.

Critics

He is not without his critics, either inside or outside NU.

His critics within NU say he is out of touch with the NU
masses and that his radical thoughts are simply far too advanced
for the rural folks who make up the majority of the NU followers.

"He has simply become too big for NU," remarked one critic.

They also fear that Gus Dur's increasing criticisms of the
government, although made in his personal capacity and not as NU
chairman, could jeopardize the good rapport the NU has painfully
built over the years.

Outside the NU, Gus Dur has often been attacked by the
government and other Moslem leaders for various controversial
remarks or actions.

He founded the Forum for Democracy with other scholars in
response to the establishment of the Association of Indonesian
Moslem Intellectuals which he said was fawning sectarian politics
in Indonesia. The forum has continued to criticize the government
on various issues.

He suggested that Moslems do away with the Islamic greeting
Assalamualaikum (peace be upon you) in favor of the more secular
Indonesian expressions such as 'selamat pagi' (good morning) or
'selamat siang' (good afternoon).

He also often spoke against the "current" Moslem thinkings.
For example, when other Moslem leaders urged the government to
ban the Monitor magazine after running a popularity poll which
included Prophet Muhammad, he spoke in defense of the magazine.

More recently, he angered the government and other Moslem
leaders when he traveled to Jerusalem, in his capacity as "an
Indonesian Moslem scholar", and met with a senior Israeli
official. He earned an added wrath on his return when he
suggested that Indonesia should establish ties with Israel.

Political analysts say that the controversies he has sparked
have enhanced, rather than reduced, his popularity within NU
because they showed his independence.

In the run up to today's congress, there has been a vigorous
campaign by some NU leaders to unseat Gus Dur, which gave birth
to the phrase 'asal jangan Gus Dur' (anyone but Gus Dur).

But that is only as far as his various opponents could agree
on. They could not come up with a single alternative figure and
instead each appeared to be pushing their own candidates.

The candidates include Chalid Mawardi and Sofjan Effendi, both
associated with the government and ruling Golkar party. There are
also lesser known names like Abu Hasan and Wahid Zaini.

Gus Dur, who stated he was prepared to lead NU for another
five years if the congress wishes, said that he has received
reports from some regional delegates that they have been ordered
by local officials not to vote for him come election time.

The government, however, has denied the allegation and
emphasized that it is keeping its hands off NU affairs.

In view of his almost certain reelection, many NU leaders say
the organization should try to tamper Gus Dur's criticisms of the
government by appointing someone as chairman of the NU policy
making board, which technically is more superior than the
executive board, who can exert influence on Gus Dur.

This job is likely to fall on Sahal Mahfudh, a respected
senior NU figure who is also Gus Dur's uncle. (emb)

Editorial -- Page 4