Yenny Wahid: Reconciliation absolutely necessary after 35th NU Congress

Whoever wins and is elected, their primary obligation is to unite all factions currently involved in the dispute.

Jombang (ANTARA) - NU female figure Zannuba Ariffah Chafsoh, known as Yenny Wahid, said reconciliation is absolutely necessary after the 35th NU Congress to unite groups experiencing internal friction.

“Whoever wins and is elected, their primary obligation is to unite all factions currently involved in the dispute,” Yenny said in her statement in Jombang, East Java, Wednesday.

The daughter of Indonesia’s fourth president Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur, said the 35th NU Congress must not only be a forum for leadership change, but also a momentum to end tensions and strengthen unity among NU members.

According to her, the reconciliation process must be carried out without prioritising the interests of any particular group or faction. All elements of NU need to return to the basic principles and legacy of the organisation’s founders.

“Returning NU to its khittah, yes. Then making the Qanun Asasi the basic principle for running Nahdlatul Ulama going forward,” she said.

She hopes the 35th NU Congress will produce leadership and organisational governance capable of embracing all groups so that NU members can once again walk together.

“Do not let the congress only produce who wins and who loses. What is more important is how after the congress all NU members can once again walk together,” she said.

PBNU will hold the 35th NU Congress on 27–31 August 2026 at Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas Islamic Boarding School, Jombang. According to the schedule, the congress opening will be attended by President Prabowo Subianto.