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.