NU never undermines government: Gus Dur
NU never undermines government: Gus Dur
JAKARTA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said his was the only organization which never got involved in any conflicts with the government.
"There have never been any conflicts with the government because many officials, both civil and military, are NU members at heart," he was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying in an NU gathering in Brebes, Central Java, yesterday.
Abdurrahman, who is more popularly known as Gus Dur, said neither has the organization ever become involved in any attempts to undermine the government.
NU never meddles in government affairs, because it does not have anything to do with "practical politics," he said.
Given that NU has a neutral stance, those who are involved in the political affairs should therefore not isolate or attempt to reduce the significance of NU, he said.
He said that NU may not have any seats in the government structure, but the fact that it represents the moral and spiritual force of the community should remind political actors not to underestimate NU.
"It then becomes the obligation of various parties not to belittle NU," he said.
Gus Dur also called on NU members in all layers of society, including in the military and civil authorities, to campaign for national unity and continuous development process.
"NU members should also become role models for other people, especially regarding efforts to establish a clean government," he said.
It is customary for newly elected leaders of major organizations to report to President Soeharto. However, since Gus Dur was re-elected chairman of the organization in NU congress in Dec. 1994, beating his competitor Abu Hasan who was reportedly backed by the government, he and the other NU leaders have yet to be received by President Soeharto.
Gus Dur, however, has often striven to show to the public that NU had good relations with the government. He twice said that NU is ready to defend President Soeharto from any unconstitutional attempts to unseat him. (swe)