NU urges MPR to elect state leaders carefully

NU urges MPR to elect state leaders carefully

BAGU, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): Indonesia's largest Moslem
organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) opened its national congress
yesterday with a call for the election of the nation's president
and vice president who will bring good to the nation.

"The next president should be able to make the nation more
modern, independent, prosperous and be able to answer future
challenges," said Ilyas Rukhiat, the Rais Aam (chairman) of the
syuriyah (law-making body) of the organization which has 30
million followers.

NU, however, would not imitate other organizations which had
openly declared support for certain vice presidential and
presidential candidates.

The four-day congress is being held at the Qamarul Huda
Pesantren (Islamic boarding school), 17 kilometers east of the
West Nusa Tenggara capital Mataram. The influential organization
will hold another congress, for the election of new leaders, in
1999.

"We trust our representatives at the People's Consultative
Assembly to decide who will be the most suitable person for the
country's top positions," he said.

Abdurrahman Wahid, the chairman of NU's executive board,
dismissed speculation that NU would discuss political issues or
end the conference with a political statement.

"We have decided not to issue any statement on politics
because we want to create a situation that is conducive for the
MPR's general assembly," he said.

Some participants, however, insisted they would use the forum
to discuss vice presidential candidates.

Chairman of the West Java chapter of NU, Habib Syarif
Muhammad, said his delegation would ask Ilyas' permission to
raise the issue.

It was earlier reported that the West Java chapter had openly
declared its support for the Minister of Defense Edi Sudradjat's
nomination for the vice presidency.

Several cabinet ministers have reportedly been invited to
address the congress which aims, among other things, to discuss
contemporary matters such as the spread of AIDS/HIV and cloning.

The organization later changed its mind and did not invite the
ministers, except for the Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi
Taher who gave an address. West Nusa Tenggara Governor Warsito
officially opened the meeting.

Ilyas said the organization decided not to invite the
government officials because of their tight schedule preparing
for next year's general meeting of the People's Consultative
Assembly.

In his speech, Tarmizi Taher called for an end to what he
called "disharmony" between NU and Indonesia's second largest
Moslem organization, Muhammadiyah.

The two organizations have traditionally been known to differ
on religious issues.

"It's now difficult to differentiate between the (practice) of
NU and that of the Muhammadiyah," Tarmizi said.

"I'm a Muhammadiyah and my wife is an NU. We can live together
and live harmoniously," he said.

Speaking about the possibility of establishing a forum of
cooperation on religious matters with Muhammadiyah, Ilyas said it
would be better if each minded its own business.

"NU and Muhammadiyah have different statutes and rules, which
cannot be combined," he said. "Let each of us do our programs and
not disturb one another."

Nahdlatul Ulama, "the revival of ulemas", was established on
Jan. 31, 1926. It was created in response to the aggressive
modern teaching of the Moslem reformists early this century.

In line with political liberalization in the 1950s, NU became
a political party in 1952 and claimed third position, behind the
Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI) and the Masjumi, in the
country's first general election in 1955.

NU was among the four Islamic political organizations which
merged to form the United Development Party (PPP) in 1973, but
later withdrew its party membership in 1984. (imn/43)