A. Junaidi, Jakarta – The political ambitions of some leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) may create friction within the nation's largest Muslim organization, but the conflict would not affect members at the grass roots, observers say.
"Conflicts are an ordinary phenomena of NU's culture," scholar Muslim Abdurrahman told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The nominations of NU chairman Haysim Muzadi and leader Solahuddin Wahid as vice presidential candidates for the July 5 election has triggered open and bitter conflict among top NU figures, notably between Hasyim and former NU chairman Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid – who still commands tremendous influence over the organization's rank and file.
Hasyim has decided to team up with Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), while Solahuddin has been picked as the running mate of Gen. (ret) Wiranto of the Golkar Party.
Muslim Abdurrahman said NU, as an organization, had a strong influence over the grass roots, which was determined mostly by kyais (religious leaders) and Muslim boarding schools (pesantren).
He explained that NU members would depend much on the opinion of kyai as patrons in deciding their choice during the country's first-ever direct presidential election on July 5.
"Kyai and their pesantren are autonomous. They are not controlled by the NU's central board," said Muslim, an executive member of the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah.
Young NU intellectual Ulil Abshar Abdalla supported Muslim's opinion that friction in NU would not affect its members at the grass roots.
Ulil even hailed the candidacy of Hasyim, saying that it would balance the strong influence of Gus Dur in the organization.
"So far, there is no one in NU, except Hasyim, who could challenge Gus Dur," he said.
According to Ulil, Hasyim's candidacy could pose a challenge to candidates with military backgrounds – Wiranto and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party.
He also regretted the eagerness of Solahuddin – who is also deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights – to be paired with Wiranto, due to the latter's indictment on charges of human rights abuses in Timor.
"It is difficult for NU, as part of civil society, to accept Wiranto with his military background and image," Ulil said.
He said Solahuddin's candidacy could not be separated from his status as the younger brother of Gus Dur, who still has strong influence in NU and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
He said Solahuddin was relatively unknown in social and political circles until Gus Dur was elected president five years ago.
With 50 million members, the NU has attracted the attention of political parties who hope to secure NU votes in the presidential election.
Besides Solahuddin and Hasyim, Jusuf Kalla, the vice presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, has also claimed to be an NU member.
Kalla's father, the late Achmad Kalla, was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from the NU Party in the 1955 general election from the South Sulawesi electorate.
The NU, founded by Gus Dur's grandfather Hasyim Asy'ari in 1926, was the third largest party in 1955, after the Indonesian National Party (PNI) and the Masyumi Party.
Former president Soeharto forced four Islamic parties – NU, the Indonesian Muslim Party (Parmusi), the Indonesian Islamic Union Party (PSII), and the Indonesia Islamic Education Party (Perti) – to fuse to become a single party, the United Development Party in 1975.