Pressures mount on NU to shun politics ahead of congress
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)