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Muhaimin’s VP bid exposes fissures in NU elite
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National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Muhaimin Iskandar greets party members during the celebration of party's 25th anniversary at Manahan Stadium in Surakarta, Central Java on July 23, 2023. (Antara/Mohammad Ayudha)
National Awakening Party (PKB) leader Muhaimin Iskandar’s decision to run for vice president alongside former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan in the 2024 presidential election has exposed longstanding frictions within Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), whose members are seen as a key voting bloc in next year’s contest.
In an effort to make the Anies-Muhaimin pairing more appealing to NU voters, the PKB said last week that leaders of NU – the country’s largest Islamic organization – had given their blessing to the Anies-Muhaimin pairing.
“We have met with a number of clerics and ulema from NU. They have given their approval [for the Anies-Muhaimin pairing],” PKB secretary general Hasanuddin Wahid said on Friday.
Not NU’s candidate
The NU central board (PBNU), however, was quick to deny any claims that the organization had a horse in the 2024 presidential race and has called on all presidential hopefuls to refrain from creating the impression that they represent the organization.
“There should not be any [presidential] contenders that [present themselves] on behalf of the NU. If there are any, they are doing it on their own capacity and track record,” PBNU chief Yahya Cholil Staquf said on Saturday.
Yahya also denied claims that clerics within the PBNU had taken part in meetings to determine the body’s support for any presidential contender.
