Gus Dur's re-election

Gus Dur's re-election

As predicted, Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur, was
re-elected as Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU's) executive chairman for a
third consecutive term during the organization's 29th congress
which ended yesterday.

But he did not win the chairmanship as easily as many had
predicted. He narrowly beat his toughest opponent, Abu Hasan, who
is virtually unknown outside NU circles, by a slim margin of only
32 votes.

But what is most important is the fact that Gus Dur was re-
elected through a very democratic process, something which is
rare in this country. In this way NU has demonstrated that it is
still capable of upholding its independence and resisting
external pressures. In other words, the NU congress has refuted
the claim made by critics that there is no hope for the
improvement of the democratic climate in this country.

It is also interesting to note that although some government
officials officially declared that they would not meddle in NU's
affairs even before the start of the congress, many of them
openly aired their displeasure over the possible re-election of
Gus Dur. Phrases such as "NU should not elect a leader who likes
to confuse his followers", were apparently meant as a covert
message to NU members not to elect Gus Dur.

Considering the direct pressure exerted by officials on some
NU branch delegates not to support Gus Dur's re-election, as was
reported by the press, one should hail the outcome as a victory
for democracy.

Even so, one cannot help but wonder about the motives behind
those officials' stance. After all, with Gus Dur at the helm of
the NU leadership, the government can be assured of NU's non-
political character, which is in line with the government's own
policy on depolitization.

One wonders: Could it be that the government prefers somebody
less critical than Gus Dur for the top position in NU? Somebody
more docile and more compromising and cooperative than
Abdurrahman Wahid? Or could it be that those officials want Gus
Dur to loose his chairmanship to clip his legitimacy (and his
outspokenness) as one representing "the voice of the people"?

If any of this were true, the next question would be: Is it a
sin in this country to be outspoken and to have a different
opinion? Where is the limit of tolerance for outspokenness and
where is the line that distinguishes statements that are
"confusing" and those that are "agreeable"?

Another interesting new phenomenon in this latest NU congress
is the apparent decline of the ulemas' influence and
independence, particularly in Java. The rise of Abu Hasan, the
candidate who was reportedly preferred by the government for the
NU chairmanship, is by far the most obvious indication of this.
The fact that almost half of the ulemas present voted for Abu
Hasan should not be underestimated because it could be seen as
proof of increasing government influence over those religious
leaders.

During the last decade the effects of the onslaught of the
market economy on the position of the ulemas has been clearly
observed. In earlier days ulemas commanded the full obedience of
villagers through their religious teachings and social stature.
But national development has since strengthened the stature of
the village chiefs, who are in a position to dole out projects
that are of benefit to the villagers. This has made them more
influential, while independent ulemas, who cannot grant economic
projects have started to lose their influence.

This, coupled with the increase in the number of "Golkar
ulemas" has changed the old power configuration in the NU. But,
judging by the fact that Gus Dur has still managed to retain his
chairmanship despite these changes, it is apparent that the old
traditional values of the NU somehow still prevail.

Moreover, the strong support which Gus Dur has won from the
younger generation in NU -- and this despite his sometimes "wild"
ideas -- shows that there are forces at work within NU that may
spell the promise of the growth of a more independent, open and
democratic organization. This is very important for the future of
this country, given NU's sheer size and role.

In this regard we are inclined to agree with Minister of
Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat that attempts to drag NU into
the political arena are certain to continue because of the
group's extensive influence. However, we believe that under the
leadership of the present NU trio of K.H. Ilyas Ruhiyat, K.H.
Sahal Mahfudz and Abdurrahman Wahid, NU will be able to weather
the politically related storms which are sure to blow over it in
the future.

However, the present leaders are well advised to take this
latest congress as a lesson: Many things have changed in this
country and NU has no other option but to adjust itself to this
reality.

We believe that under the present leadership NU will be able
to maintain its populist outlook, its independence and its
grassroots character. By doing so the NU will remain an
invaluable asset that will assist this nation in its endeavor to
achieve a speedier democratization process.