Influential ulemas turn down Alwi's offer

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Awakening Party (PKB) under Alwi Shihab said on Thursday that several influential Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) ulemas had declined the party's offer to take up posts on its new board of executives.

The party's deputy chairman, Mahfud MD, cited organization policy as the most likely reason for the refusal.

During the NU's five-yearly congress in Kediri, East Java three years ago, it adopted a ruling that barred its serving executives from holding a position in other organizations.

Mahfud maintained that the ulemas would not withdraw their support for the party.

"The ulemas, perhaps, just do not want to formally involve themselves in the party's activities. They support our party from behind the stage," Mahfud told a press conference at the party's headquarters in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

For the PKB, the presence of NU ulemas is decisive, since the country's largest Muslim organization provides a mass support base for the party.

The party was founded by, among others, Abdurrahman Wahid, a former NU chairman who was elected president after the 1999 general election. He was impeached last year.

Rumors are circulating that among the ulemas who declined the PKB's offer were Abdullah Abbas from the NU's West Java chapter and Irfan Zidni, who is a member of the NU's central executive board.

Irfan Zidni was apparently asked to serve as the deputy chairman of the party's patrons, while Abdullah Abbas was to serve as another patron.

Also present at the press conference were Saifullah Yusuf, the party's secretary general and Khofifah Indarparawangsa, the deputy secretary general of the party's board of patrons.

Khofifah denied reports that the influential ulemas had canceled their support for Alwi's PKB. She said the respected clerics were just reluctant to join the party's formal structure.

She said that the party executives were now shortlisting and contacting names, including the ulemas, to be listed later in the party's formal structures.

"Some have confirmed that they would join the party, but others have not given their confirmation yet. However, we still have time," she said.

Khofifah said that the extraordinary meeting in Yogyakarta, held from Jan. 17 to Jan. 19 last week, had ordered the party's executive to complete the organization of the party's structure by the end of this month.

In a related development, another party executive and cleric, Nur Iskandar, tendered on Thursday his resignation from the party's executive board. He has refused to reveal what prompted his decision.

"Since the beginning, I have devoted myself to propagation of Islam, and I'd like to go back to my original world. This means I have to quit politics," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

He has not revealed yet when he formally steps down.

Meanwhile, Alwi's PKB is considering legal and political moves to end its prolonged dispute with the rival PKB splinter group under Matori Abdul Djalil.

Matori was dismissed from PKB last year but then founded a splinter group, which also claims to have the rights over the party's name and other symbols.

Mahfud said the party's response, including the possibility of legal action, would be declared publicly next week.

"Filing a lawsuit against Matori's PKB is one of our options. That possibility is kept wide open," Mahfud said.

Efforts to reconcile the two camps have failed.

Election laws forbid the use of the same name and symbols by more than one political party which contests the elections.