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4,200 legislative candidates put on oath against corruption

NU Online  ·  Senin, 24 November 2008 | 02:22 WIB

Jakarta, NU Online
The Ulema National Awakening Party (PKNU) swore an oath on Sunday binding all 4,200 of its legislative candidates not to commit any corrupt act, Kompas.com reported.

"I swear not to commit any corrupt act nor any other disgraceful act and not to accept any gift in any form related to my duty as a representative of the people," a member of PKNU consultative board, KH Ubaidillah Faqih, led the candidates in an oath-swearing ceremony in Jakarta.<>

The party chairman Choirul Anam said the party was established by ulemas and Muslim clerics and thus its members should stay away from such things.

"If any (of these candidates) violates (the law), the party, not the law enforcement authorities, will be the first to act against them," he said.

The PKNU was established in 2006 by clerics of the country's biggest Muslim organization - Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), who opposed the leadership of former NU chairman KH Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.

They were disappointed by the Gus Dur-controlled National Awakening Party (PKB). (jp)