NU calls for unity on presidency

NU calls for unity on presidency

Tiarma Siboro
and Nana Rukmana
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta/Cirebon

The country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
disclosed that it had asked its followers to vote for a single
candidate for the country's next president in the 2004 general
election.

NU, nevertheless, grants its followers freedom to vote for a
candidate of a political party of their choice in the election of
legislative members.

The recommendation was issued after the organization held a
three-day meeting here, which ended on Saturday.

"The next general election is different from the past as the
nation will directly elect legislative members and the president
and vice president.

"Regarding the legislative election, we allow NU followers to
channel their political aspirations through their preferred
parties in line with our commitment and historical legacy. But on
the issue of the direct presidential and vice presidential
election, we ask NU followers to put their different political
interests aside and be united in voting for the country's best
individual," NU Deputy Chairman Achmad Bagdja told a press
conference on Saturday.

NU Chairman Hasyim Muzadi also attended the press conference
held at NU's head office in Central Jakarta.

The NU leaders, however, declined to name any candidates for
president or vice president.

"We just agree to certain conditions, that the candidate
should have a strong concept of nationalism and the ability to
take the country out of the prolonged multidimensional crisis."
Achmad said.

Asked whether Hasyim was among the candidates, Achmad
laughed.

"NU is not in a position to propose any candidates because it
is the prerogative of political parties," he said.

Hasyim, himself, refused to comment on whether he would run
for the presidency, saying he left the issue to the NU's internal
policymakers.

Many believe that Hasyim, who leads the 40 million-strong
organization, has ambitions to run for president.

Golkar Party's provincial chapters in East Java and South
Kalimantan have named Hasyim as a presidential candidate. Golkar,
the second largest party, plans to hold a national convention to
elect a presidential candidate, who will be selected among
nominees proposed by provincial chapters.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) has also tipped Hasyim as one of
Megawati's running mates in a bid to accommodate the aspirations
of the Muslim community.

Taufik Kiemas, Megawati's husband, has reportedly held
informal meetings with Hasyim to talk about the issue.

None of NU-affiliated parties, the National Awakening Party
(PKB), Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU) and Nahdlatul Ummat
Party (PNU), have disclosed its presidential and vice
presidential candidates.

But NU politicians from various parties, including Golkar and
the United Development Party (PPP) which is chaired by Vice
President Hamzah Haz, have regularly held meetings to discuss the
presidential and vice presidential candidates.

If he runs for presidency, Hasyim will face his predecessor
and PKB chief patron Abdurrahman Wahid, who has repeatedly said
that Hasyim had to relinquish his top post at NU before joining
the race.

Saying that Hasyim had formed a team to help him win his
presidential bid, Gus Dur, as Abdurrahman is widely known, warned
the NU chairman against using the country's largest Islamic
organization as his political vehicle.

In Cirebon, NU executive Said Agil Siradj claimed that Gus Dur
had won support from NU clerics, PKB and non-Muslim organizations
to run for the presidency for a second time.

"The direct presidential election will pave the way for Gus
Dur to reclaim the presidency. I can say that all clerics, ulema,
Islamic boarding school students and even non-Muslim communities
will vote for a populist figure like Gus Dur," Said Agil said.

Said Agil, however, warned of a plot to foil Gus Dur's
candidacy, referring to the direct presidential bill that
requires a candidate to be in good health. Gus Dur has impaired
eyesight.

"Such a discriminative requirement must be reconsidered," Said
Agil said.