PKB names Gus Dur presidential candidate

PKB names Gus Dur presidential candidate

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Awakening Party (PKB) concluded its three-day
national meeting late on Thursday by naming its chief patron,
Abdurrahman Wahid, its presidential candidate.

However, it is too early to say whether Abdurrahman, better
known as Gus Dur, is supported by the whole party, as PKB is also
prepared to pick other presidential candidates from inside or
outside the party.

Muhammad A.S. Hikam, head of the meeting's steering committee
and PKB deputy chairman, said several alternative figures had
been mentioned during the meeting.

"Other names will be made public by the PKB executive board,
but it depends on how things develop," Hikam told reporters after
the closing ceremony of the national meeting.

A number of provincial chapters had touted Nahdlatul Ulama
(NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi and Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as
presidential aspirants.

Hasyim's nomination was proposed by NU clerics who claimed to
represent 30 provincial chapters of the country's largest Muslim
organization.

Hikam refused to reveal the reason why the alternative
candidates had not been announced, but sources said the decision
was a compromise to appease potential conflict between Gus Dur
and his opponents.

However, Hasyim later played down the support, saying he would
only accept his nomination for the presidency if he was supported
by both the PKB and the executive board of the NU.

Gus Dur's presidential bid is facing a serious challenge as
the presidential election bill currently being deliberated at the
House of Representatives requires candidates to be of sound mind
and body. Gus Dur has impaired eyesight following two minor
strokes in the past.

The presidential elections bill is expected to be passed
approximately in June this year.

If the House passes the health requirement, then Gus Dur's
candidacy would be jeopardized.

If this occurs, PKB will likely name others as its
presidential candidates.

The PKB national meeting also asserted that any executive and
legislative candidates in the 2004 general election must have the
consent of NU ulemas.

Meanwhile, the executive board of the PKB announced a plan to
appeal a court decision that ruled unlawful the 2001 dismissal of
Matori Abdul Djalil by Gus Dur as PKB chairman last year.

Matori was fired after he attended the Special Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in 2001, which led to Gus
Dur's removal as president. According to the judges, Matori's
presence was acceptable as he was also an MPR deputy speaker at
that time.

Alwi was named Matori's replacement and made the party's
leader later that year.

Matori also founded his own PKB, sparking a legal dispute
between him and Gus Dur loyalists.

PKB under Matori sprang a surprise by naming Gus Dur its
presidential candidate, which Gus Dur immediately turned down.