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Don't abuse NU for political gains: Yahya
Yahya warned members of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) against using the organization to serve as a springboard for political ambitions.
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Religious talks: Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf (second left) greets a local religious figure ahead of the Religion of Twenty (R20) forum on Oct. 28, 2022, in Bali. (Antara/Nahdlatul Ulama central board)
Chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Yahya Cholil Staquf urged politicians on Thursday not to abuse the organization for short-term political gain, especially in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election.
Yahya also warned members of NU against using the organization to serve as a springboard for their political ambitions.
"Whoever they are, including members of the organization, they are not allowed to use their identity as NU member as political capital," Yahya was quoted by Antara on Thursday.
Yahya deemed the use of NU brand in winning votes as "identity politics," the practice that the organization advised against.
"Identity politics is politics that puts primacy on the identity of primary groups and this is very dangerous for the integrity of our community," Yahya said.
Some leading presidential candidates running for the 2024 elections have made efforts to court a number of senior NU clerics to become their running mates.
Recently, Ganjar Pranowo, the Central Java governor nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) held a series of meetings with senior NU clerics in Central Java in a bid to shore up support for his candidacy.
