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