Top cleric decides to support Mega
Top cleric decides to support Mega
Nana Rukmana, Cirebon
A prominent Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) cleric who organized two
meetings to support the nomination of Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
has switched to Megawati Soekarnoputri and her running mate NU
chairman Hasyim Muzadi.
Cirebon's Buntet Islamic boarding school spokesman Adib
Rofi'uddin said on Monday that kyai khos (senior ulema) Abdullah
Abbas had decided to throw his weight behind the candidates of
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) after Gus Dur
was disqualified.
Adib said the clerics of the boarding school had met to
discuss current political issues, particularly the July 5
presidential election, and unanimously decided to back the
Megawati-Hasyim pairing.
Adib said Abbas was absent from the gathering for health
reasons, but had told the rest of the clerics through his brother
Nahduddin Abbas that he endorsed the PDI-P candidates.
"We have consulted kyai Abdullah Abbas about the results of
the meeting, which he approved," Adib said.
He added the decision to support Megawati and Hasyim followed
the request of a group of West Java NU clerics, who met on May 18
in Cirebon.
"The pair is expected to be able to accommodate people's
aspirations for the betterment of the nation and NU members in
particular. We hope they will uphold the supremacy of law,
democracy and political stability, and improve the economy," he
said.
Nahduddin confirmed on Monday his brother's nod to the
Megawati-Hasyim pair. "Buntet boarding school's extended family
supported the decision," he said.
Abdullah was among the 31 influential clerics who met at
Buntet in February and in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, in April to
endorse former president Gus Dur's comeback bid. Gus Dur, a
former NU chairman, was nominated by the National Awakening Party
(PKB), which he cofounded.
Several clerics, including Abdullah Faqih from Langitan in
Tuban, East Java, held talks with PKB leaders in mid-May, and
decided to support Golkar presidential and vice presidential
candidates Gen. (ret) Wiranto and Solahuddin Wahid if Gus Dur was
disqualified by the General Elections Commission (KPU).
Solahuddin was NU deputy chairman until his resignation, and
is a former activist with the National Commission for Human
Rights (Komnas HAM) and Gus Dur's brother.
In regards the KPU's decision, Adib said the clerics regretted
Gus Dur's disqualification and would accept his decision not to
exercise his right to vote.