Matori told to meet Gus Dur

Matori told to meet Gus Dur

Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

Chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU) Hasyim Muzadi urged Matori Abdul Djalil, the former
chairman of National Awakening Party (PKB), to have a dialog with
the party's board of patrons head Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid for
the sake of reconciliation.

"If Gus Dur previously did not want reconciliation with
Matori, I do not think it absolutely means Gus Dur will reject
him if Matori requests a meeting," Hasyim said on the sidelines
of a discussion on the Roles of Religious Institutions and
Leaders in Strengthening the Political System towards Democracy
on Friday.

Gus Dur once said that reconciliation between Matori and PKB
was impossible because of Matori's two major mistakes --
violating the party's decision to freeze the PKB in the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) and establishing a splinter central
executive board within the party.

Hasyim said that Matori, who is the current Minister of
Defense in the new Cabinet, could come to Gus Dur with PKB
chairman Alwi Shihab.

"Maybe a compromise could be a better way for them rather than
continuing the existing conflicts in the party," Hasyim told The
Jakarta Post.

Following the downfall of Gus Dur from the presidency in
August, an internal dispute emerged in PKB as Matori decided
unilaterally to oppose the party decision and attend the
Assembly's Special Session in July of this year.

Gus Dur then decided to replace Matori as chairman of PKB with
Alwi, the former minister of foreign affairs. The party also
decided to assign Abdul Cholik Achmad as the deputy speaker of
the People's Consultative Assembly, replacing Matori.

Matori, however, brushed off the decision. Along with his
loyalists, he reportedly will hold a national meeting on Nov. 12.

Hasyim believed that Gus Dur would accept Matori in search of
a solution over the problems.

He, however, admitted that NU would not give any suggestion to
the party whether the compromise should be held prior to the
request from PKB itself, saying that "NU will not interfere in
the party."

"Of course the existing conflict in the party has affected the
NU followers as their political aspirations are being somewhat
neglected due to the weakness of the party. In other regions,
especially, PKB's political position is weak," Hasyim said.

"The other problem that weakens the party is the vacant post
for the deputy Assembly speaker. It severely lessens its power of
political bargaining," Hasyim added.

Commenting on Matori's accusation that the NU was infiltrated
by several hardliners while the organization held a series of
rallies to defend Gus Dur against his political enemies, Hasyim
said: "It was a groundless accusation."

Meanwhile, several PKB members have reportedly started
arriving in Jakarta to attend a Matori-backed meeting. They come
from several branches in Probolinggo, Situbondo, Bondowoso and
other cities in Madura, East Java.

Rumors said that they were backed by Mutawakil Alallah of the
Probolinggo-based Genggong Islamic boarding school and Fawaid
Syamsul Arifin of the Situbondo-based Syafiiyah Asembagus Islamic
boarding school.

Mutawakil is a Muslim cleric who was defeated by Choirul Anam,
a Gus Dur loyalist, in the race to become chairman of the PKB
regional branch in East Java last month.