NU invites Habibie to open congress

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has asked President B.J. Habibie, or his successor, to open its 30th congress in Lirboyo, Kediri regency, East Java, in November.

Chief organizer Said Aqiel Siradj told the media after meeting with Habibie on Thursday the congress, planned for Nov. 21 through Nov. 27, would take place after the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly when a new president is elected.

"However, we still ask the president to open the congress, regardless of who the president will be then," according to Said, who is reportedly a strong contender to replace three-time chairman Abdurrahman Wahid.

Stiff competition for the presidency is currently taking place between Habibie, the presidential candidate of the ruling Golkar, and Megawati Soekarnoputri whose Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) won the June 7 polls.

Nahdlatul Ulama has an estimated 37 million members and supporters, with tens of thousands of pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) across the country. The coming congress will be held at the Lirboyo Pesantren.

Said, who was accompanied by six other executives of the NU including deputy chairman Rozy Munir, said NU congresses were in the past opened by the president and closed by the vice president. "We are hoping the tradition will continue until after we have a new president and vice president," Said said.

The event will not only elect a new chairman, but will also be filled with activities such as a kyai (scholars) discussion on contemporary issues from the perspectives of Islam.

Starting August, the organization is holding weekly seminars on various issues. (prb/swe)