Muhammadiyah candidates named

Muhammadiyah candidates named

SURABAYA: Persatuan Pemuda Muhammadiyah, the youth wing of the second largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, has named 13 candidates from 120 hopefuls to contest the race for the wing's top post.

The candidates, named during the youth wing's congress here, will replace outgoing chairman Imam Addaruqutni who is now a House of Representatives legislator for the Reform faction.

The election is seen by many as a strategic chance to single out future leaders for Muhammadiyah and also to reignite its socio-religious function rather than being involved in political practices.

It is known that major political parties contesting the upcoming 2004 general elections, such as the National Awakening Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP), have been involved in intensive lobbying to win Muhammadiyah members' votes for the election.

Out of 13 nominees, four are said to be the strongest contenders for the race.

They are: Suyoto, the rector of Muhammadiyah University in Gresik in East Java; Abdul Mu'ti, an Australian university graduate and a lecturer at the Walisongo Islamic Teaching Institute in Semarang; M. Nadjamuddin Ramli, a National Mandate Party (PAN) figure and a lecturer of the Tadulako University in Palu, Central Sulawesi and Untung Cahyono, chief of Muhammadiyah in Yogyakarta. --JP