Gus Hans Hopes AHWA Selects PBNU Chairperson Without Intervention

The Vice Rector of Universitas Pesantren Tinggi Darul Ulum (Unipdu) Jombang, H.M. Zahrul Azhar As’ad, hopes that the kiai members of the Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi (AHWA) will choose the General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) independently and without intervention.

“I hope that the AHWA can truly choose without any intervention and use their inner conscience,” said Zahrul Azhar As’ad, or Gus Hans, in a statement in Jombang on Sunday.

This hope was expressed after the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muktamar agreed to change the election mechanism for the PBNU General Chairperson through a voting process. In that vote, 401 out of 552 delegates voted for the change in the election mechanism, while 150 votes opted to maintain the existing mechanism, and one vote was abstained or invalid.

With that result, the option to change the mechanism received approximately 73 per cent of the votes, while the option to maintain the mechanism received approximately 27 per cent.

According to him, the kiai need to use clear judgement by looking at the track records of the candidates and the various issues arising within the organisation. He stated that the AHWA needs to look objectively at those who have been sources of problems, those capable of resolving issues, and those who are actually part of the problems.

“So that the kiai can make a choice without any remaining residue from previous conflicts,” he said.

Gus Hans assessed that all candidates still have a chance to be elected. In his view, no figure can yet claim to be the strongest candidate for General Chairperson, as communication with the kiai members of the AHWA is still ongoing.

“Everything is still open. It is not yet possible to claim who is the strongest. It all depends on last-minute communication with the kiai in the AHWA,” he said.

“This process is based on speculation. That speculation could either happen or may have already happened,” he added.

He also raised the possibility that the change in the system might be the result of conditioning by certain parties who feel they have the potential to win through the new mechanism.

“With this change in the system, it is possible that this is also the result of conditioning, which is not free of charge, from parties who consider themselves having the potential to win using this system,” he said.

However, Gus Hans did not label the change in the election mechanism as manipulation. He preferred to describe it as a form of conditioning.

“I do not dare to say that this is part of manipulation, no, but it is more accurately the result of a form of conditioning,” he said.