Muhammadiyah vote for leaders nears

YOGYAKARTA: The country's second-largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah is screening 126 candidates planning to contest the race for leadership positions at the group's congress, which will include women for the first time.

Muhammadiyah is scheduled to hold its congress from July 3-8 in Yogyakarta to elect the organization's new central board.

Head of the organizing committee HA Rosyad Saleh said on Thursday that out of the 126, the organization would select 39 candidates that would compete in the congress.

The congress would then select 13 names to sit on the organization's central board. This group would then elect Muhammadiyah's chairman on July 8.

Rosyad said that the congress would be a milestone for Muhammadiyah as women for the first time could join the race for central board membership. -- Antara