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)