JAKARTA — Daughter of deceased Nahdlatul Ulama senior figure KH Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), Yenny Wahid stated that Nahdlatul Ulama should follow its initial principle (khittah) set during establishment of organization in 1926. NU was a political party during New Order era. However, NU has returned to its khittah in the 27th Congress of Nahdlatul Ulama in 1984 in Situbondo, East Java.
Therefore, Nahdlatul Ulama as a religious social organization should not involved in political practice even though its supreme leader (rais aam) KH Ma’ruf Amin contested in the presidential election. Yenny said Nahdlatul Ulama cadres were aware of the obligation. “I believe it has become our stance,” she said in North Jakarta on Sunday (Aug 19).
However, Nahdlatul Ulama did not ban its cadres to be politicians. The largest Muslim-based organization in Indonesia also let Nahdliyin or its followers to choose candidates based on their own desire. Nahdlatul Ulama cadres were welcomed to join winning team of incumbent President Joko Widodo-KH Ma’ruf Amin or Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Yenny said. She remarked that Nahdlatul Ulama is neutral in politics.
“The organization stance never changed,” she asserted. According to Yenny, cadres who spoke on behalf of organization could not classified to represent Nahdlatul Ulama. She said those cadres only represent theirselves. Yenny said the voice of Nahdlatul Ulama cadres has never been solid on one candidate. Therefore, she thought that cadres would not be all out in defending Kiai Ma’ruf in presidential election 2019.
“History has shown that when one of Nahdlatul Ulama’s figure contests in politics, let say KH Hasyim Muzadi, the voice of cadres was not solid,” she explained. Nahdlatul Ulama cadres have their own process in making decisions. Moreover, they are scattered in several political parties, namely National Awakening Party (PKB), United Development Party (PPP), Golkar Party, Gerindra Party, or Nasdem Party.
“This is the reality and it proves that Nahdlatul Ulama is everywhere,” she said. In a meeting with Nahdlatul Ulama cadres in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Kiai Ma’ruf claimed central board of the organization (PBNU) would mobilize its members to win all of cadres contest in the elections. His statement also came to respond his candidacy as vice presidential for Jokowi in 2019 presidential election.
“PBNU had agreed to support anyone from the board chosen as vice presidential candidate, including if it was the supreme leader,” Kiai Ma’ruf said in front of hundreds of Nahdlatul Ulama cadres, Saturday (Aug 18), in Mecca.
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