Ulemas back Gus Dur for president
The Jakarta Post, Cirebon/Surabaya
A plenary meeting of influential Muslim clerics (kyai khos) of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has mandated Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid to run for president as a candidate of the National Awakening Party (PKB).
About 30 kyai, who head Islamic boarding schools across the country, attended a meeting at the Buntet boarding school in Cirebon, West Java on Tuesday.
They included host Abdullah Abbas; Fachrudin Masturo from Sukabumi, West Java; Abdullah Faqih from Langitan, East Java; Kholil As'ad from Situbondo, East Java; Zaenal Abidin from Yogyakarta, Sonhaji from Kebumen, Central Java; Mukhtar Muda Nasution from Medan, North Sumatra; Turumudji Badarudin from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB); Sanusi Baco from Makassar, South Kalimantan; and Hamdan Kholid from Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.
The mandate was included in a letter signed by Fachruddin and Abdullah.
Fachrudin said the kyai blessed the nearly blind Gus Dur's bid for presidency but required that, should his nomination be rejected on the basis of his health, he would appoint someone to replace him.
"Gus Dur must appoint someone through a lawful mechanism. We will hold another meeting about the nomination after the legislative election on April 5," he said.
The ulema also mandated Nahdlatul Ulama's Central Board (PBNU) to order its followers to vote for the National Awakening Party (PKB) in the upcoming elections.
Gus Dur, who also attended the meeting, said he knew that the board would back his nomination.
"I predicted that the kyai (cleric) would ask me to become a presidential candidate. I said OK. I met with kyai who head boarding schools and lead NU and PKB. They agreed that PKB must nominate me. It is in line with the result of the recent PKB national meeting," he said.
Gus Dur dismissed predictions that NU leader Hasyim Muzadi would be nominated.
"Pak Hasyim Muzadi is not a candidate. He has said that many times," he said.
Separately in Surabaya, PBNU said that it would publish the name of its presidential candidate after its national meeting following the April 5 legislative election.
The decision was issued following a meeting between NU influential figures and several respected NU cleric following a closed-door meeting of the board of the East Java NU branch.
The meeting was attended by Hasyim, East Java NU branch board member Ali Maschan Moesa and noted clerics Fawaid Sa'ad, Muchid Muzadi and Chotib Umar.
They discussed the neutrality of NU in the elections as well as moves by several political parties to ask Hasyim to become a presidential candidate.
"NU would not name both Hasyim and Gus Dur as presidential candidates because this could cause clashes among NU followers," Ali said, asserting that the organization would make a decision after its national meeting also scheduled for after the April elections.
Meanwhile, Hasyim said NU has asked its followers to vote for a presidential candidate who was free from corruption charges, rights violations and political crimes.
"So far, NU considers that no presidential candidates possess such requirements," he said.