Gus Dur hints support for Yusril in presidential election

Jakarta, NU Online
Former president Abdurahman “Gus Dur” Wahid said he will support former minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra in the presidential election next year.

Gus Dur told a press conference on Saturday that he must support other candidates, if he later could not run for president.<>

"I have to support other candidates and the one who is close to me is Yusril," he said after receiving Yusril at the Nahdlatul Ulama office, Antara news agency reported Sunday.

Yusril, who is chairman of the advisory board of the Moon and Star Party (PBB), admitted that he was discussing his intention to run for president with the National Awakening Party (PKB) patron.

"We have long known each other, been close friends and helped each other since 1999," he said.

Yusril along with Gus Dur and Megawati Soekarnoputri took part in the presidential election in 1999 but at the last moment he dropped out of the race and supported Gus Dur, who then was elected as the fourth president of the country beating Megawati.

Yusril said with support from Gus Dur he was more optimistic about his chances in the election.

"God willing, we will go ahead and never retreat," he said.

Gus Dur, the chairman of the advisory board of the PKB, said he had intended to join the presidential race in 2009 but the Election Commission (KPU) would not allow him.

Gus Dur was expelled from the party he helped found in 1998, after an internal part dispute resulted in a court turning down an appeal filed by him against Muhaimin Iskandar and Lukman Edy, respectively the elected party chairman and secretary-general in the 2005 national congress in Semarang, for holding an extraordinary congress last May.

KPU later recognizes Muhaimin and his rival Gus Dur’s daughter Yenny Wahid as PKB chairman and secretary-general respectively. (jp/dar)