Mega, Hasyim receive support from NU youth organizations
Mega, Hasyim receive support from NU youth organizations
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta
Leaders of youth organizations affiliated to the country's
largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), threw their
support behind Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi on
Tuesday, boosting their chances in the election runoff.
They called on members of their respective organizations to
vote for Megawati and Hasyim, who they said was the only NU
member vying for one of the country's top posts.
"We call on all NU followers to vote for the Megawati-Hasyim
pairing in the runoff on Sept. 20," said Andi M. Ramly, an
advisor to a number of NU youth organizations, including GP
Ansor.
Other figures who support the pair are, among others, NU
deputy chairmen Andi Jamaro and Ahmad Bagdja, National Awakening
Party (PKB) deputy chairman Khofifah Indar Parawansa, NU Female
Youth Fatayat chairwoman Maria Ulfa Masfufah and NU Students
Association (IPNU) head Syamsuddin M. Pay.
"We also call on NU members and supporters, especially
influential clerics who run Islamic boarding schools, to support
and pray for the victory of the Megawati-Hasyim pairing," Andi
said at a media conference.
NU, which has around 40 million members nationwide, supported
Gen. (ret) Wiranto and running mate Solahuddin Wahid in the July 5
election. The pair, however, failed to make it to the second
round.
NU and PKB leaders showed support for Megawati and Hasyim
apparently after influential cleric Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
met with Megawati a few days ago.
Andi said the support for the pairing was due to Megawati's
running mate, Hasyim, "being the only NU member to fight for the
vice presidential post in the September election".
Separately, Hasyim said on Tuesday that he and Megawati
expected to win the support of NU members in the runoff.
Hasyim, who has just returned from going on a pilgrimage in
Mecca, said he and Megawati would intensify their approach to NU
members.
The KPU declared on Monday that Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
Megawati would vie for the presidency in the second round of the
election.
The commission said that Susilo and running mate Jusuf Kalla
had garnered 39,838 million votes, or 33.57 percent of 118.6
million valid ballots, while Mega and Hasyim came in second with
31.5 million votes, or 26.6 percent.
Hasyim said on Tuesday that he was grateful that the pair had
make it to the second round.
He noted that their success would be followed by hard work to
win the support of NU members so as to gain the final victory.
Meanwhile, Mega Center team member Irma Hutabarat said that in
addition to winning the support of NU members, the team would try
to woo voters whose presidential candidates had failed to advance
to the second round of the election.
"We are going to woo supporters of Wiranto, Amien Rais and
Hamzah Haz," Irma was quoted as saying by Antara.