Muhammadiyah grooms presidency

Muhammadiyah grooms presidency

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: Chairman of Muhammadiyah Ahmad
Syafii Maarif urged members of the country's second largest
Muslim organization on Thursday to be active in grooming
presidential candidates.

A few days after stating that Muhammadiyah was not a political
organization, Syafii said the organization was responsible for
preparing a future national leader who would lead the country out
of the crisis.

"The nation is in a dire need of a national leader who has
competence, vision and commitment to uphold the reform movement
which has almost died," Syafii said after opening the
organization's national meeting here.

Syafii's predecessor Amien Rais, who is also chairman of
National Mandate Party (PAN), failed to attend the meeting due to
ill health. Amien has announced his bid for the presidency. --JP