NU won't become political party: Officials
NU won't become political party: Officials
JAKARTA (JP): Officials of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem
organization yesterday dismissed speculation that the
organization would enter the political arena and transform into a
political party as it did in the early 1970s.
"Until now, NU remains a social and religious organization,"
according to Ma'ruf Amin, the deputy chief of Syuriah (NU's
lawmaking body).
"We (NU's executive board) have never discussed NU becoming a
political party," he told reporters after a plenary meeting of NU
leaders.
He said NU considered establishing democratic laws more urgent
than establishing a political organization.
"But it will completely rest on NU members, should they desire
to establish a political party," he said.
Nahdlatul Ulama, the name of which means "the revival of
ulemas", was established on Jan. 31, 1926. In its early days it
remained very much an organization focused on Islamic studies.
However, in response to increasing political awareness of its
members after Indonesia's independence in 1945, NU declared
itself a political party in 1952.
It turned out to be a "bronze medalist" in the first general
election in 1955 after Masjumi and the Indonesian Nationalist
Party (PNI), and rose to prominence when it came second in the
1971 elections.
As a part of the 1973 National Consensus, NU merged with three
other Moslem parties and formed the United Development Party
(PPP).
However, an internal party dispute ruined the coalition and NU
severed its formal ties with the PPP in 1984. It has since stayed
away from party politics.
Support for NU's return to politics came from the Central Java
chapter of the Communication Forum for NU Young Generation
(FKGMNU) yesterday.
"In recognition of the total reform momentum and a more
conducive political climate, NU's return to politics is
appropriate," Cholidy Ibhar, coordinator of the forum, told
reporters.
He said establishing the NU as a political party would
facilitate the articulation of the organization's political
interests.
Asked whether he believed that there could be more than the
traditional three political parties -- Golkar, the Indonesian
Democratic Party and PPP -- participating in general elections,
Cholidy merely replied that it would be settled in the new
political laws.
"NU only hopes that the new political laws will be more
democratic than before," he said.
There has been increasing interest from various groups to
establish more political parties, and not merely limit them to
three.
A group of labor activists inaugurated on Monday the
Indonesian Workers Party (PPI), while Golkar's business wing
Kosgoro indicated an intention to establish a political party of
its own, separate from Golkar.
Separately, Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris said the
government did not oppose the establishment of the Workers Party.
"They (labor activists) may establish a political party," he
told reporters after a limited coordinating meeting on the
economy, finance and industry yesterday.
"What they may not do is to establish a workers' union, which
is affiliated to a political party," he said.
Speaking about recommendations issued by the NU's plenary
meeting, NU's secretary-general Ahmad Bagdja said changes in the
political system, the establishment of new political laws and an
immediate general election should be the urgent agenda of reform.
"Political reform should guarantee the establishment of
people's sovereignty which the Indonesian people have long
demanded," Ahmad said while reading the meeting's
recommendations.
He called on the House of Representatives (DPR)/the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) to eradicate collusion, corruption
and nepotistic practices in its membership recruitment.
Representing the NU's officials, Ahmad reminded the government
that the ongoing reform process should not side with ethnic and
religious groups only. (imn/har/rid)