NU members urged to remain neutral

Jakarta, NU Online
Faithful members of the country’s largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), known as Nahdliyin, should remain neutral in the upcoming presidential election, a senior NU official has said.<>

NU executive board (PBNU) member Slamet Effendi Yusuf said any NU members who wished to express support for presidential candidate pairs Joko “Jokowi” Widodo-Jusuf Kalla or Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa should do so on an individual basis and not on behalf of the organization.

“The NU is a religious organization that is committed to not becoming involved in politics. NU members can voice concern about various problems, such as national policies, morality and ethics, but not contemporary politics,” said Slamet on Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Several senior NU figures, including Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar, former women’s empowerment minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa and former PBNU chairman Hasyim Muzadi, have voiced support for Jokowi-Kalla. Two other senior NU figures, namely PBNU chairman Said Aqil Siradj and former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD, support Prabowo-Hatta.

“If they want to support one ticket, they should do it as individuals, not on behalf of the NU. There should be no declaration of being NU members during campaigns. There should be no NU flag either,” said Slamet, adding that any violation of the rule would result in only moral censure.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq