NU plans to discuss presidential term

NU plans to discuss presidential term

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's largest Moslem organization plans to
discuss whether Islamic law and tradition makes any stipulation
on the length of the presidential term.

Leaders of the East Java branch of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
will meet in Surabaya next Saturday and Sunday to discuss the
question.

A spokesman for the branch said yesterday that the issue of
the presidential term is among 12 religious questions to be
deliberated by the branch.

"The topic has been included in response to public queries
about Islam and the presidential term of office," H.M. Sholeh
Hayat was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.

He then explained about a tradition in the history of Islam,
through which caliphs or heads of state could lead or stay in
power for life.

Ulemas usually only provide leaders or power holders with
guidelines on leadership, rather than on the length of their term
of office, Hayat said.

The ulemas will also discuss technical questions such as the
law on sending female workers away from home without escorts.
Chairman of NU's central executive board Abdurrahman Wahid will
attend the meeting.

An observer from the Surabaya Teachers College, Ali Haidar,
applauded NU's decision to touch on the sensitive issue. "The
religious discussion, even though it has political, social or
cultural tones is conducted only for the sake of Islam, not for
other interests," he said.

NU currently has some 30 million members and supporters,
especially in rural areas. Analysts have often said the
organization represents an attractive power base for interest
groups.

President Soeharto will end his sixth five-year term in 1998.

Separately, MKGR, a social organization affiliated with the
ruling political grouping Golkar, yesterday declared that, like
several other groups before it, it will nominate incumbent
President Soeharto for another presidential term.

Chairperson Mien Sugandhi told the press in Magelang, Central
Java, that support for the re-election of Soeharto is already
flowing in from Indonesia's 27 provinces. "MKGR will certainly
nominate him," she said. "Every time I go to various places,
people there invariably support Pak Harto".

Mien, who is also State Minister for Women's Roles, seconded
the recent statement of Minister of Transmigration Siswono
Yudohusodo that there is no better candidate for the presidency
of the nation than Soeharto.

"There is no stronger candidate," Siswono had said.

Mien said she decided to nominate Soeharto "not because I'm a
minister, but because I know for sure that Pak Harto establishes
programs to improve people's welfare based on the Constitution
and state ideology Pancasila". (swe/har)