resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s running mate for the 2019 presidential election, Ma’ruf Amin, will step down as Rais Aam, or the supreme leader, of the country’s largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), NU chairman Said Aqil Siradj has confirmed.
Said said Ma’ruf would officially tender his resignation after completing the haj to Saudi Arabia. Ma’ruf departed to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning.
“We will hold a meeting as soon as [Ma’ruf] returns [to Indonesia],” Said said on Tuesday as quoted by tempo.co, adding that, “the vice supreme leader, Miftahul Akhyar, would automatically assume the Rais Aam post.”
The NU central board (PBNU) does not allow the Rais Aam to hold any political positions, according to Said.
Besides being the supreme leader of the PBNU for 2015-2020, Ma’ruf has also been the chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) since 2007 and is a board member of the Pancasila body (BPIP). (swd)
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