Gus Yahya Invites Cak Imin to Run for PBNU Chairmanship

General Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), KH Yahya Cholil Staquf or Gus Yahya, has announced he will stand for re-election as Chairman for a second term at the upcoming Muktamar at the end of August. Gus Yahya stated he took this decision to complete various strategic programmes he initiated over the past five years. “I am indeed running again. Firstly, because I want to finish the agendas that I have been building from the start. And I now understand better how to perfect the results that have been achieved,” Gus Yahya said at the PBNU Building in Jakarta on Tuesday. He explained that a single term is insufficient to test the effectiveness of the ongoing organisational transformation. With the experience of consolidating the NU structure in his first term, he feels he now has a much better understanding of the needs of Nahdliyin members at the grassroots level. “How to perfect it so that the benefits can truly be felt by the citizens of Nahdlatul Ulama,” he said. Regarding the emergence of interest from other figures wanting to contest the top seat in PBNU, Gus Yahya considered it a normal dynamic. He noted that the position of PBNU Chairman holds high appeal. “The internal dynamics are just normal. If people want to become the General Chairman of PBNU, many do. The title of General Chairman is as dashing as I am, so it is normal if many are interested. It has always been like that,” he remarked. Gus Yahya revealed that so far, regional and branch administrators have not put forward any concrete alternative names besides himself. Nevertheless, he stressed that the contest is open to anyone who wishes to compete fairly, including hinting at the possible involvement of political figures like Muhaimin Iskandar if he is willing to step down from his party position. “We shall wait and see, there is still time until the end of August. But once again, if anyone wants to run, for example, Mr Muhaimin Iskandar wants to resign from PKB to run for PBNU Chairman, that is also normal. We will process everything maturely, with good organisational maturity,” he concluded.