Support strong for re-election of Abdurrahman
JAKARTA (JP): Support for the re-election of Abdurrahman Wahid, chief of the 34 million member Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), is streaming in from Central Java, one of the strongest bases of the Moslem organization.
The support came just days after Gus Dur, as he is popularly known, announced that he would seek re-election when the largest Indonesian socio-educational organization holds its congress next month.
The congress, to take place in the West Java town of Tasikmalaya, will bring together NU leaders from across the country to select the new board of executives and adopt the organization's working programs for the next five years.
Numerous NU branches in Central Java regencies have put Abdurrahman on top of their list of candidates. Their second most popular nominee is Sahal Mahfudh, one of his deputies.
"They received overwhelming support from local leaders who were assembled in a workshop here on Tuesday," chairman of the Central Java NU chapter H. Achmad said in Semarang yesterday.
Some local NU leaders want Mahfudh, who run an Islamic boarding school in Pati, east of Semarang, to take the helm and for Abdurrahman to become his deputy.
Political observer Kacung Marijan from the Surabaya-based Airlangga University said Abdurrahman, who hails from East Java, is still the most popular candidate.
"His chance to clinch the NU top spot for the third time got bigger after he announced his plan to run again," he told the Antara press agency.
"Third party"
He said Abdurrahman retained his popularity thanks to his close relations with local NU leaders.
In an unrelated occasion, Abdurrahman said in Semarang that he did not see any signs that a "third party" would meddle in the election of the new NU executive board.
He added, however, that some individuals have tried to meddle in NU's internal affairs. "They do it covertly for fear that their superiors will reprimand them," he said.
He said the "individuals" were trying to foil his re-election bid.
Gus Dur alleged that several power brokers also tried to promote politicians to key positions in the hope that NU would return to formal politics.
"This maneuver could jeopardize NU's commitment to staying away from party politics and this is something that we do not want," he said. He added that it was this fear that made him decide to seek re-election.
NU, established in 1926, was formerly a powerful political party. With three other Moslem political organizations, it merged into the United Development Party (PPP) in 1973.
In its historic congress in 1984, NU decided to return to its original socio-educational mission and organizationally retreated from practical politics.(pan/har)