Procedural Violations in Central Jakarta NU Conference Spark Calls for Evaluation
The implementation of the Branch Conference (Konfercab) of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PCNU) Central Jakarta Branch has triggered a wave of protests and disappointment among participants. The highest deliberative forum at the branch level is alleged to be procedurally flawed due to the inclusion of participants from sub-branch councils (MWC) whose decision letters (SK) had expired, as well as the disregard for the validity of participation mandates.
In response to various irregularities suspected of violating the NU Statutes/Bylaws (AD/ART) and Association Regulations (Perkum), several leaders of the MWC NU in the Central Jakarta area have officially issued a joint statement of position. This statement was attended and directly supported by the Chairmen and Rais of various MWC NU districts, including Tanah Abang, Cempaka Putih, Kemayoran, Gambir, Senen, and Sawah Besar.
According to Alit, the Chairman of MWC NU Tanah Abang, the proceedings of the Konfercab appeared forced and directed by certain parties, causing the forum to lose its independence as a legitimate deliberative body. “NU is great because of obedience to the AD/ART, dignified because of honesty, and strong because of deliberation. Any process that allegedly ignores organisational provisions has the potential to cause division, reduce the trust of Nahdliyin members, and damage the dignity of NU,” he stated in an official press release.
He further noted that the MWC NU leaders across Central Jakarta highlighted several crucial violations during the forum. First, the disregard for the extension of MWC decision letters; the committee is alleged to have permitted several MWCs whose SK validity had expired without any legal basis or valid extension letters.
Second, the invalidity of participation mandates. The Association Regulations, which require participant mandate letters to be signed by four parties—namely the Rais, Katib, Chairman, and Secretary—were reportedly not consistently implemented. Furthermore, there were allegations of maladministration in the election of the Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi (AHWA), as nomination and appointment documents were found to lack the required signatures from the Rais and Katib.
Additionally, there were allegations of intimidation by the session leaders from the caretaker element. The proceedings, led by Caretaker KH Miftah Faqih, were described as anti-criticism, with several participants claiming they faced intimidating treatment and had their rights restricted when attempting to interject to correct procedural errors. Based on this series of alleged procedural violations, the MWC NU officials in Central Jakarta are urging higher-level NU leadership to conduct a thorough evaluation to ensure the legitimacy of the Konfercab’s decisions and to maintain unity within the organisation.