No mayor, regent hopefuls from NU

SURABAYA: Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU) East Java branch will not nominate any candidates for mayor or regent in the upcoming direct elections of heads of regional governments in East Java province.

"It was decided at NU's national meeting last year that the NU, as a religious organization, must stay away from politics," said NU East Java head Ali Maschan Moesa.

NU is the largest Muslim organization in the country and claims a 40-million membership. The direct election this year in East Java will be held in 16 out of 38 regencies and mayoralties. -- JP