Gus Yahya: NU Must Not Become a Basis for Political Power Consolidation

The General Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), Yahya Cholil Staquf, known as Gus Yahya, has asserted that NU must maintain an equal distance from all political forces and must not be used as a basis for the consolidation of political power. He noted that NU’s current position is distinct from the past, as the organisation oversees more than half of Indonesia’s Muslim population.

“NU must not be used as a basis for the political consolidation of power. Doing so would result in negative consequences for NU itself and would be unjust to Indonesia,” Gus Yahlag stated to Media Indonesia. He explained that since the beginning of his leadership, there have been three major agendas: organisational transformation, the repositioning of NU within the national socio-political constellation, and the strengthening of its international role.

As part of this repositioning, PBNU has implemented several regulations to limit the entry of political interests into the organisation. These include prohibiting daily executives of political parties from concurrently holding positions as daily executives of NU, as well as prohibiting the General Chairman of PBNU, the Rais Aam, and certain leadership ranks from participating in political contests.

“NU must maintain an equal distance from all political forces, avoid involvement in power contests, and help bring benefits to the community,” he added. Gus Yahya believes these steps are essential to ensure NU remains a moral and social force capable of bridging various elements of the nation without becoming trapped in practical political struggles.