NU chapters reject demand for new congress

SEMARANG (JP): Two key regional boards of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) have rejected a proposal to hold an extraordinary congress to replace current chairman Abdurrahman Wahid.

The regional executive boards in Central Java and East Java said yesterday they are fully behind the leadership of Abdurrahman and would not support the call for a congress.

"All the NU branches in Central Java are united on this," said Achmad, the chairman of the regional board. "If they go ahead with the congress, Central Java will boycott it."

East Java chapter chairman Imron Hamzah also came out strongly in support of Abdurrahman and would not endorse the congress.

"I don't think there is strong support in the branches. Although the regulations allow the holding of an extraordinary congress, the question is irrelevant, especially if it is to be used to unseat Abdurrahman," Imron said.

The call for an extraordinary congress was made by the Forum of Communication of the Descendants of NU Founders, a small but elite and influential group within the 30-million strong NU, during a meeting on Sept. 9 in Jombang, East Java.

The forum, led by Yusuf Hasyim, argued that NU has become more estranged from the government under Abdurrahman. The chairman and the rest of the NU central executive board have not been received by President Soeharto since he was reelected as NU chairman last December.

Sources close to Abdurrahman said that the President was offended by remarks Abdurrahman reportedly made to a foreign author.

Abdurrahman was elected for a third consecutive five-year term at the congress in Cipasung, West Java, the site of NU's last congress. Leaders of major organizations in Indonesia traditionally report to the President after their elections.

"I think the matter is personal (between Abdurrahman and Soeharto). It's got nothing to do with the organization," said Achmad of the Central Java board.

The fact that Abdurrahman has not been received by the President doesn't indicate that his leadership is flawed, he said. "We stand firm that the NU congress is over and that there is no need to hold an extraordinary congress."

Imron questioned the origin of the proposal, which he said left the impression that only the descendants of NU's founders were entitled to lead NU.

He said Abdurrahman was elected to the chairmanship not because he is one of the descendants, but because the congress regards him as the person most capable of leading and strengthening the organization.

Imron also recalled that this is not the first time that Yusuf Hasyim has maneuvered to unseat Abdurrahman.

Meanwhile, Abdurrahman himself dismissed the call for an extraordinary congress as another futile attempt.

Speaking in Malang, East Java, where he was attending a seminar, he said that the proposal would not shake NU, Antara reported.

The NU's youth organization, GP Ansor, which just completed its own congress last week, also came out in support of Abdurrahman and rejected the call for a new NU congress.

Ansor's newly-elected chairman Iqbal Assegaf said his organization would remain loyal to Abdurrahman's chairmanship.

"As a son, Ansor will always remain loyal to his father (NU)," Iqbal was quoted as saying. (har/emb)