The 35th PBNU Congress Will Elect Ahwa to Determine the Next Rais Aam

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The 35th Congress of Pengurus Besar Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) will serve as a forum to elect Ahlul Halli Wal Aqdi (Ahwa). PBNU 35th Congress Committee Chairman Saifullah Yusuf, or Gus Ipul, explained that Ahwa will be tasked with determining the next Rais Aam of PBNU. “AHWA will be elected, Ahlul Halli Wal Aqdi, who will select the Rais Aam. It will be like that,” said Gus Ipul, when met at the Ministry of Social Affairs office in Central Jakarta, Thursday (7/5/2026). “Whether the election model is the same or there are changes depends on the congress participants. So, that’s what I think leading up to the congress. Regarding candidates, we’ll see later who is chosen by the congress delegates,” explained Gus Ipul. The current Rais Aam of PBNU is KH Miftachul Akhyar. The Rais Aam is the highest position in the Syuriyah NU organisational structure. During Hasyim Asy’ari’s leadership, this position was called Rais Akbar. One of the authorities of the Rais Aam is to determine the organisation’s general policies. Other powers include signing important NU decisions, up to resolving internal organisational disputes. In Article 58 paragraph (1) of PBNU’s AD/ART, five authorities of the Rais Aam are regulated, namely: