Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Six candidates will contest the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairmanship at the upcoming congress in March, the organization said Sunday.
The contenders are Solahuddin Wahid, brother of late Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, noted intellectual Masdar Farid Mas'udi, former chairman of NU's East Java branch Ali Maschan Moesa, Golkar Party politician Slamet Effendi Yusuf, former NU secretary-general Ahmad Bagja and senior cleric Said Agil Siraj.
A few months before his passing late December, Gus Dur reportedly voiced his support for Masdar to replace incumbent NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi.
"I don't think there will be any changes in the lineup," Masykuri Abdillah, deputy chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization, told The Jakarta Post, adding there was no support from NU branches across the country for Islamic Liberal Network (JIL) leader Ulil Abshar Abdalla.
Ulil is the son in law of Mustofa Bisri, a poet and one of the most respected figures in NU.
Several young members in NU, mostly sympathizers of Ulil's liberal movement, have nominated the Harvard graduate for the top post. The congress will be held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, from March 22-27.
Imam Subhi, a lecturer at Jakarta's State Islamic University, said that Said Agil and Solahuddin, better known as Gus Solah, were the strongest candidates, depending on the election mechanism used in the congress.
"If the congress decides to hold a direct election, Said Agil will likely prevail as the winner as he has been sucessful at garnering support," he said. "But if the congress agrees to appoint the chairman through the ahlul halli wal aqdi mechanism, then Gus Solah should be the strongest contender."
Ahlul halli wal aqdi is an election system in which a select-few, usually senior and highly revered kyai or clerics, are required to unanimously appoint the leader of the organization, which has about 40 million members.
Imam said that some members had proposed such mechanisms to avoid money politics and dirty political maneuvers.
Masykuri said he did not rule out the possibility of applying the mechanism, but said the chance was small. "This is an era of democracy. Applying ahlul halli wal aqdi would be seen as a setback for NU." NU's East Java branch, the largest NU base, said their members' support was divided between Said Agil and Ahmad Bagja.
"Some have touted Gus Solah and Ali Maschan Moesa, but the support for the two is insignificant," the branch's secretary, Masyhudi Muchtar, told Antara state news agency on Sunday.
NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi, who has held his current post for two consecutive terms, said he would run for the syuriah (supervisory) council chairmanship, competing with the incumbent Sahal Mahfudz.
Rumor has it that Hasyim is trying to retain his position by changing the organization's regulation, which limits a person to chair NU for more than two periods. Mayskuri, however, dismissed the rumor.