NU to invite Soeharto to mass gathering

BANDUNG (JP): Controversial Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid plans to invite President Soeharto to a mass gathering of the 30- million strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Gus Dur, as Abdurrahman is affectionately called, said in a Ramadhan discussion here Sunday night said he has yet to set the date and venue for the meeting of the organization he chairs.

The rally will be planned to show NU's appreciation of Soeharto's leadership, Gus Dur said.

Gus Dur is a known for his critical stand on some government policies. His relations with the President were strained for several years until they shook hands in a historic encounter late last year.

Gus Dur said that his meeting with Soeharto in the East Java town of Probolinggo was a sign that NU and the government had good relations.

The President has not accorded an audience to Gus Dur since he was reelected NU chairman two years ago, a sign that the scholar lacks the leader's blessing, according to some observers. (ahy/01)