Influential ulemas turn down Alwi's offer

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.