Religious youth to elect new chair

JAKARTA: The Muhammadiyah Youth Organization is set to elect its new leader next month with Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafi'i Ma'arif hoping the election would single out future statesmen from the country's second largest Muslim organization.

Syafi'i said the upcoming election at the Muhammadiyah youth wing should produce future leaders with statesman qualities.

"They must have integrity and not become tempted with today's politics. It isn't easy," he said over the weekend.

He declined to name the candidates who stood the biggest chance of winning in next month's election. "Candidates with the right qualities are rare, but we have some."

The election of the youth chairman is seen as means to produce future leaders within Muhammadiyah. After some 90 years in existence, Muhammadiyah claims some 30 million members, making it the country's second largest Muslim organization next to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) which has about 40 million members.

The election of the youth chairman, will take place from July 7 to July 9 in Yogyakarta with over 100 candidates nationwide participating, according to the current chairman Imam Addarugutni.