The 34th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress is seen as an opportunity for NU to strengthen the organization, which is entering its second century of existence.
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Rini Kustiasih/IQBAL BASYARI
·3 minutes read
Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan
The bazaar which was held in the series of the 34th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) congress at Saburai Enggal Square, Bandar Lampung, Lampung, Tuesday (21/12/2021).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The 34th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress is scheduled to commence on Wednesday (12/22/2021) at Darussa'adah Islamic Boarding School, Central Lampung, Lampung. The congress is seen as an opportunity for NU to strengthen the organization, which is entering its second century of existence.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will officially open the event, accompanied by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.
"God willing, President Jokowi and Vice President Kyai Ma'ruf have confirmed their attendance at the opening of the congress," KH Imam Aziz, chairman of the organizing committee for the 34th NU Congress, said in Lampung on Tuesday (21/12).
He said all preparations for the congress, which would last until 24 Dec, were in place. Strict health protocols to prevent Covid-19 transmission would be implemented and the number of participants would be restricted to a maximum of 500 people.
The opening of the congress will be broadcast online and shown for public viewing on screens erected at several points of the congress venue. The congress will coincide with the organization’s 95-year anniversary since its founding on 31 Jan. 1926.
Madani Muslim Network coordinator Syukron Jamal said the 34th NU Congress served as an important occasion for the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia to align the steps and policies with the challenge ahead when it would enter its second century of existence.
"This congress must be able to produce a consensus on how to keep and even increase NU’s role at the national and global level in the efforts to help stemming [outside] ideologies on the one hand, and maintain organizational self-sustainability on the other," he said.
Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan
Registration of participants for the 34th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) congress at the University of Lampung, Bandar Lampung, Lampung, Tuesday (21/12/2021). The number of participants who took part in the 34th NU Congress reached 1,959 people.
With self-sustainability as the theme, the congress should be able to draw recommendations as the guidance for NU members, according to KH Mohammad Mukri, chairman of the congress regional executive committee.
He said NU had resolved issues regarding religion-state relationship, democracy, inter-faith relations, as well as NU's political role.
“Our future [challenge] is to determine how the NU community can become self-sustained citizens as [the organization] enters the second century of existence," he said.
Chairmanship election
The opening of the congress on Wednesday will be followed with an introduction of the convening rules and a session for accountability reports.
Thursday’s program includes a commission session from morning to afternoon, with the election of a rais aam (council board chairman) and an executive board chairman scheduled the following evening.
Imam said the election session would begin with the election of a council board chairman adopting the ahlul halli wal aqdi (AHWA) system.
Data of the congress committee shows there are 586 voters consisting of regional board members, branch administrators and NU’s specially appointed branch administrators.
The early stage of the council board chairmanship election will see congress participants each choose one name. Nine names with the highest number of votes will make up the AHWA committee.
"It will be AHWA who will choose the new rais aam and whether he is from among themselves or outside the nine formators," Imam said.
The election for the executive board chairman will carried out directly through voting. Until one day ahead of the opening of the congress, incumbent chairman KH Said Aqil Siroj was known to seek a second term against contender KH Yahya Cholil Staquf, who is the council board secretary.
Imam said the election committee had formed an ethics panel to process complaints about money politics and external intervention allegations.
