DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

Indonesian Islamic Organization Nahdlatul Ulama to Use Voting for Leadership Election

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Approved/passed
  • The 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muktamar has decided to use a voting system to elect the next Chairman of the PBNU.
  • This decision came after discussions on the election mechanism failed to reach a consensus, with voting serving as a fallback if consensus is not achieved.
  • Previously, candidates had agreed to a selection process through Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi (AHWA), but this also led to debate during the plenary session.

The 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muktamar has officially decided to implement a voting system to determine the next Chairman of the PBNU (Pengurus Besar Nahdlatul Ulama). This decision marks a significant procedural shift for the large Indonesian Islamic organization.

During Plenary Session III in Jombang, East Java, the forum confirmed that while deliberation and consensus (musyawarah mufakat) remain the preferred approach, voting will be employed if an agreement cannot be reached. "Don't worry if we don't find consensus. We have agreed, we have agreed to vote, don't worry, God willing, we will get there," stated Prof. Mohammad Nuh, who chaired the session.

Don't worry if we don't find consensus. We have agreed, we have agreed to vote, don't worry, God willing, we will get there.

— Prof. Mohammad NuhChair of Plenary Session III, addressing delegates about the decision to use voting.

The move towards a voting mechanism followed extensive discussions that failed to yield a unanimous decision on the election process. Initially, the Organization Committee session presented two options: direct election with a one-person-one-vote system, subject to the approval of the elected Rais Aam (Supreme Leader), or a nomination process through regional NU leadership (PCNU and PWNU), with candidates then submitted to the Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi (AHWA) for final selection.

Adding to the complexity, several prominent candidates, including K.H. Zulfa Mustofa, K.H. Abdul Hakim Mahfudz (Gus Kikin), K.H. Abdul Ghaffar Ro'in (Gus Rozin), K.H. Yusuf Chudlori (Gus Yusuf), and K.H. Abdussalam Shohib (Gus Salam), had previously issued a joint statement agreeing to have the Chairman elected through AHWA. This statement itself generated further debate during the plenary session, leading to the eventual decision to hold a vote on the election mechanism itself.

I Zulfa Mustofa, KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz (Gus Kikin), KH Abdul Ghaffar Ro'in (Gus Rozin), KH Yusuf Chudlori (Gus Yusuf), KH Abdussalam Shohib (Gus Salam) agree that the election of the general chairman is carried out by Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi.

— K.H. Zulfa MustofaStating the agreement of several candidates on the AHWA election method.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog