NU Congress Decides Voting as Mechanism for Electing PBNU Chairman
The Plenary Session III of the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress has decided that voting will be used as the mechanism to determine the method for electing the Chairman of the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) for the coming period.
Chairman of Plenary Session III and Secretary of the Steering Committee of the 35th NU Congress, Professor Mohammad Nuh, said the forum continues to prioritise deliberation and consensus, but has prepared voting should an agreement not be reached.
“It is getting lively. We still offer it to all of you. But once again, there is no need to worry if we cannot find consensus. We have agreed, we agree to vote, no need to worry, God willing, it will be achieved,” he said in Jombang on Saturday.
The decision to vote was taken after discussions on the election mechanism failed to reach an agreement in the Organisational Commission Session and again experienced dynamics when the discussion continued in Plenary Session III at Bahrul Ulum Islamic Boarding School, Tambakberas, Jombang.
Previously, the Organisational Commission Session produced two options for the PBNU Chairman election mechanism after discussions on the matter had not found common ground.
The first option was direct election with a one man one vote system, still accompanied by the approval of the elected Rais Aam.
The second option was a selection mechanism through the Nahdlatul Ulama Branch Boards (PCNU) and Nahdlatul Ulama Regional Boards (PWNU). The proposed names would then be tabulated and submitted to the Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi (AHWA) to choose the candidate deemed worthy of leading NU.
Chairman of the Organisational Commission Session, Professor Asrorun Niam, said the requirements for the PBNU Chairman candidacy had been agreed to be made more flexible as long as they still met the core requirements as stipulated in the NU Articles of Association and Bylaws (AD/ART).
Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU), K.H. Zulfa Mustofa, spoke about a joint statement of position with four other candidates, namely K.H. Abdul Hakim Mahfudz (Gus Kikin), K.H. Abdul Ghaffar Ro’in (Gus Rozin), K.H. Yusuf Chudlori (Gus Yusuf), and K.H. Abdussalam Shohib (Gus Salam), who agreed on the election of the PBNU Chairman through the AHWA.
“I, Zulfa Mustofa, KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz (Gus Kikin), KH Abdul Ghaffar Ro’in (Gus Rozin), KH Yusuf Chudlori (Gus Yusuf), KH Abdussalam Shohib (Gus Salam) agree that the election of the chairman be carried out by the Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi,” said Zulfa.
The statement also triggered dynamics in the plenary session. Afterwards, Professor Mohammad Nuh adjourned the session and announced that the vote on the PBNU Chairman election mechanism was scheduled to take place on Saturday evening at 19.00 WIB.
The vote will use a representative voting mechanism represented by each chairman of the PCNU, PWNU, and the Special Branch Boards of Nahdlatul Ulama (PCINU).