Influential ulemas back Gus Dur for president
Influential ulemas back Gus Dur for president
The Jakarta Post
Cirebon/Surabaya
A plenary meeting of influential Muslim clerics (kyai khos) of
the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has mandated Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
to run for president as a candidate of the National Awakening
Party (PKB).
About 30 kyai, who head Islamic boarding schools across the
country, attended a meeting at the Buntet boarding school in
Cirebon, West Java on Tuesday.
They included host Abdullah Abbas; Fachrudin Masturo from
Sukabumi, West Java; Abdullah Faqih from Langitan, East Java;
Kholil As'ad from Situbondo, East Java; Zaenal Abidin from
Yogyakarta, Sonhaji from Kebumen, Central Java; Mukhtar Muda
Nasution from Medan, North Sumatra; Turumudji Badarudin from
Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB); Sanusi Baco from Makassar,
South Kalimantan; and Hamdan Kholid from Banjarmasin, South
Kalimantan.
The mandate was included in a letter signed by Fachruddin and
Abdullah.
Fachrudin said the kyai blessed the nearly blind Gus Dur's bid
for presidency but required that, should his nomination be
rejected on the basis of his health, he would appoint someone to
replace him.
"Gus Dur must appoint someone through a lawful mechanism. We
will hold another meeting about the nomination after the
legislative election on April 5," he said.
The ulema also mandated Nahdlatul Ulama's Central Board (PBNU)
to order its followers to vote for the National Awakening Party
(PKB) in the upcoming elections.
Gus Dur, who also attended the meeting, said he knew that the
board would back his nomination.
"I predicted that the kyai (cleric) would ask me to become a
presidential candidate. I said OK. I met with kyai who head
boarding schools and lead NU and PKB. They agreed that PKB must
nominate me. It is in line with the result of the recent PKB
national meeting," he said.
Gus Dur dismissed predictions that NU leader Hasyim Muzadi
would be nominated.
"Pak Hasyim Muzadi is not a candidate. He has said that many
times," he said.
Separately in Surabaya, PBNU said that it would publish the
name of its presidential candidate after its national meeting
following the April 5 legislative election.
The decision was issued following a meeting between NU
influential figures and several respected NU cleric following a
closed-door meeting of the board of the East Java NU branch.
The meeting was attended by Hasyim, East Java NU branch board
member Ali Maschan Moesa and noted clerics Fawaid Sa'ad, Muchid
Muzadi and Chotib Umar.
They discussed the neutrality of NU in the elections as well
as moves by several political parties to ask Hasyim to become a
presidential candidate.
"NU would not name both Hasyim and Gus Dur as presidential
candidates because this could cause clashes among NU followers,"
Ali said, asserting that the organization would make a decision
after its national meeting also scheduled for after the April
elections.
Meanwhile, Hasyim said NU has asked its followers to vote for
a presidential candidate who was free from corruption charges,
rights violations and political crimes.
"So far, NU considers that no presidential candidates possess
such requirements," he said.