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NU Congress Debates Two Options for Electing New Chairman
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

NU Congress Debates Two Options for Electing New Chairman

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

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

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • The 35th Nahdlatul Ulama Congress is debating two distinct mechanisms for electing its new Chairman.
  • The first option maintains the traditional consensus-based approach, with voting as a fallback.
  • The second option proposes a selection by nine senior clerics (Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi) from a shortlist of five candidates nominated by congress participants.

Delegates at the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama Congress in Jombang, East Java, are divided over how to elect the organization's next chairman. The Organization Commission session is grappling with two distinct proposals that could reshape the leadership selection process.

There are two options, the first is to maintain the existing mechanism, namely deliberation, or to proceed with voting if consensus is not reached.

— KH M Asrorun NiamExplaining the two proposed mechanisms for electing the new PBNU Chairman.

The current mechanism involves deliberation and, if consensus is not reached, a one-person-one-vote system. This traditional approach is one of the options on the table for the congress.

The first is done by consensus. If consensus is not reached, then a one man one vote is held.

— KH M Asrorun NiamDetailing the traditional election method.

A new proposal suggests a more exclusive method: the election of the chairman would be decided by a council of nine senior clerics, known as Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi (Ahwa). However, this council would not select from an open field. Instead, congress participants would nominate up to five qualified candidates. The top five from this nomination process would then be presented to the Ahwa for a final decision.

The second new proposal is through the Ahlul Halli wal Aqdi mechanism.

— KH M Asrorun NiamIntroducing the alternative election method.

KH M Asrorun Niam, the head of the Organization Commission and a member of the PBNU Syuriah leadership, clarified the details of the proposals. He emphasized that the congress aims for consensus but acknowledged the need for a clear voting procedure if agreement falters. The second option, involving the Ahwa, requires the shortlisted candidates to formally express their willingness to serve and secure the written approval of the newly elected Rais Aam (Supreme Leader) before the Ahwa makes its final choice.

The chairman is elected directly by the congress participants through consensus.

— KH M Asrorun NiamDescribing the first part of the consensus-based election.
About this summary

Originally published by CNN Indonesia 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.

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