NU told to improve relations with govt, other groups

NU told to improve relations with govt, other groups

JAKARTA (JP): The newly re-elected chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama
(NU), Abdurrahman Wahid, has found himself bombarded with pleas
to tone down his aberrancy and build better relations with the
government and other organizations.

"NU has often been at odds with other Moslem organizations and
has been walking alone for too long," Lukman Harun from the
Muhammadiyah socio-educational organization, a long time
Abdurrahman critic, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

"It needs to change its attitude, views, and the way it
relates to other organizations," he said. "But whether these
changes will take place depends on its new leaders."

In the past, NU, the country's largest Moslem organization
with more than 28 million members, has frequently taken different
stands on varying religious matters. The most frequent squabble,
for instance, concerns the determination of the beginning and end
of the fasting month Ramadhan.

The same expectations have been voiced by various parties upon
the election of Wahid to chair NU's executive board in its latest
congress which ended Monday.

Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung asked the
chairman to lead his followers in building unity and cohesion in
the nation.

Minister of Security and Defense Gen. Edi Sudrajat, praising
the "independent election" of Wahid, also asked that the
organization contribute more to strengthen national unity.

K.H. Syansuri Badlawi, one of the most senior ulemas in the
organization, told the news agency Antara that Wahid should build
good relations between the organization and the government. Wahid
should also correct several flaws in his leadership style,
Syansuri said.

In his previous terms, Wahid had ignored advice from the
Mustasyar, NU's advisory board. "He should change this attitude
from now on," Syansuri said.

He also asked Wahid to include his "opponents", his own uncle
Yusuf Hasyim, and former NU chairman Idham Chalid, in the
advisory board. "NU needs respected figures like him (Yusuf)," he
said.

Wahid, more popularly known as Gus Dur, is "smart and indeed
the appropriate choice, but he's aberrant", he said.

Syansuri, also a legislator from the United Development Party
(PPP) faction, suggested that Wahid include his election
competitors in the executive board, which will be announced on
Dec. 13. They were K.H. Wahid Zaini, Abu Hasan and Dr. Fahmi
Syaefuddin.

In order to establish effective leadership, Wahid will need
colleagues who are strong and brave enough to correct him,
Syansuri said.

"What he doesn't need is a bunch of yes-men," he added.

Lukman criticized Abdurrahman's style of breezing through
protests voiced by various parties over many of his moves. "In
all this time, nobody has ever stood against him," he said. "His
opinions were treated as if they were the voice of truth."

Some of the most criticized moves of Abdurrahman included his
visit to, and subsequent suggestion that Indonesia establish
diplomatic ties with, Israel.

He was also accused of turning a deaf ear to protests about
his suggestion that Moslems replace the religious greeting
Assalamu'alaikum (peace be upon you) with the secular "good
morning" or "good afternoon".

Another NU legislator, Imam Churmen, expressed confidence that
Wahid and leaders of the Syuriyah (NU law-making body), K.H.
Ilyas Ruhiat and K.H. Sahal Mahfudz, will be able to work
together to meet the organization's goals.

Wahid is perhaps the most controversial figure in Indonesian
politics and now the most ardent critic of the government.

He founded the Forum for Democracy with other scholars in
response to the establishment of the Association of Indonesian
Moslem Intellectuals which he said was fawning sectarian politics
in Indonesia. The forum has continued to criticize the government
on various issues.

Besides expectations, Wahid also won praises from other
parties with regards to his re-election. Feisal and R. Hartono,
ABRI chief of social political affairs, acknowledged that he was
the best choice for NU.

Leading politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI),
Sabam Sirait, said PDI, PPP and the ruling political grouping
Golkar could learn from NU on democratic election.

The election, which analysts said was "democratic", "is a very
important lesson on the efforts to uphold democracy in
Indonesia," Sabam told Antara.

"PPP and PDI can also learn about how to deflect interfering
forces from outside of the organization," he said. "In fact, this
should be a lesson for ABRI and the government too." (swe)