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