NU leadership race tests strength to distance itself from Jakarta
The country's largest Muslim group will hold a leadership contest during its 35th national congress (Muktamar) in Jombang, East Java amid concerns of political interference that will sway the race result for external political interests.
The largest Muslim organization in the country, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), is currently in the midst of a leadership contest during its 35th national congress, known as Muktamar, taking place in Jombang, East Java. The event has raised concerns about potential political interference that could sway the outcome of the race, which is crucial for NU's efforts to distance itself from practical politics. Approximately 500 NU members have convened in Jombang for the five-day Muktamar.
Delegates from the regional branches are set to elect the new chair for a five-year term on Saturday. The congress opened on Thursday, with concerns over attempts to influence the selection process of the nine-member council of senior NU clerics responsible for choosing the group's supreme leader (Rais Aam). A proposal has been put forward to amend NU's bylaws during the congress, replacing the current one person one vote system among delegates with a closed-door deliberation process involving senior clerics, including those from the AHWA.
The proposal would involve delegates narrowing down the nominated candidates to nine names, after which the AHWA and the newly elected Rais Aam would select one as chairman. NU secretary-general and Muktamar organizing committee chair, Saifullah Yusuf, stated that the proposal would be further deliberated during the congress, as the committee had yet to verify the approval of the proposal by the 556 voting delegates.
Yusuf emphasized that debates and differences are a part of NU's tradition and urged all discussions to be conducted in a friendly manner.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
