Pressures mount on NU to shun politics ahead of congress

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Pressure is mounting on the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) to reaffirm its distance from politics when it holds its five-yearly congress in Kediri, East Java, later this month.

NU's Yogyakarta chapter confirmed on Wednesday that it would propose to separate NU from its political associate, the National Awakening Party (PKB), at the congress, its secretary Nuruddin Amin said here.

"For the sake of both the NU and PKB, a formal stipulation separating the two organizations must be decided," he said, adding that the decision should be reached between PKB leaders and NU ulemas.

PKB was founded on July 23 last year by NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid, who claimed that the party served as the sole political channel for NU's 35 million members.

The party finished third in the June 7 general election with 51 seats in the House of Representatives (DPR). Abdurrahman was subsequently elected President.

Nuruddin acknowledged that it was almost impossible to break the ties between the PKB and NU, considering that both organizations share a traditionalist culture.

"The relationship between the two can be described as somewhat informal. Whatever will be NU is morally responsible to monitor PKB," he said.

In 1984, NU renewed its 1926 pledge to stay away from politics, the year of Abdurrahman's election to chair the social- oriented organization.

The secretary of PKB's Yogyakarta chapter, Nur Achmad Affandi, welcomed the idea, saying it would avoid any conflict of interest between the two groups.

"PKB can learn how to be independent and confirm its status as a political party which is open to people from all religions, ethnic groups and (other) groupings," Affandi said.

Rector of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Institute of Islamic Studies Azyumardi Azra suggested in Jakarta that NU step back from politics. He said the move was necessary to end an internal friction within the organization resulting from the establishment of several political parties which claim to represent NU interests.

"The upcoming congress should give NU a perfect moment to consolidate its potential. NU's deep involvement in the elections last year has cost its unity," Azyumardi said.

The Suni Party, the Muslim Community Awakening party (PKU) and the Nahdlatul Ummat Party (PNU) were also established by NU figures. The last three parties are underrepresented in the House and merged into the Ummat Sovereignty faction with other small Muslim-based parties. (44/edt)