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Gus Sholah won't follow Gus Dur's call for abstaining from voting

NU Online  ·  Kamis, 20 November 2008 | 03:00 WIB

Jakarta, NU Online
The leader of Tebuireng Islamic boarding school (Pesantren), Jombang, East Java, KH Sholahuddin Wahid (Gus Sholah) would not follow KH Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur)'s call for abstaining from voting (Golput) in the 2009 elections.

Gus Sholah who is also the younger brother of Gus Dur admitted that he had his own point of view dealing with the golput. As for him, it was not to do with the matter to vote.<>

He called on people to use their voting rights to vote for legislative hopefuls. "It is not necessary to vote for a (certain) party. We vote for (legislative) candidates and I have campaigned in some regencies. We need to look for good hopefuls of the House of Representatives at regency level," Gus Sholah said.

"Believe me, there have still been many national cadres having capability, integrity, honesty and we will vote for them," Gus Sholah said on the sidelines of a meeting attended by the families of national heroes at Jakarta Convention Center Wednesday (19/11).

As reported that Gus Dur who is also chairman of the Advisory Council of the National Awakening Party (PKB) recently called on PKB regional branches to boycott the legislative, regional representatives (DPD), presidential and vice presidential elections to be held next year.

"We will boycott all the elections," Gus Dur told reporters, adding that the reason for the boycott was that the KPU only recognized the PKB executive board under Muhaimin Iskandar while the one under his leadership was not registered as the legitimate PKB that had the right to nominate would-be candidates with the KPU. (rif)