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Prabowo steps in to resolve PKB-NU conflict
A long-standing feud between the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has reemerged as president-elect Prabowo Subianto builds an alliance for his incoming government. Observers say the conflict may reflect the two groups' competition for the office of religious affairs minister.
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President-elect and Gerindra Party chair Prabowo Subianto (left) shakes hands with National Awakening Party (PKB) chair Muhaimin Iskandar after a meeting between the two parties at the PKB headquarters in Jakarta on April 24, 2024. Muhaimin, who ran with Prabowo's rival Anies Baswedan in the Feb. 14 election, expressed the party's wish to work with Gerindra for Prabowo's incoming administration. (Antara/Aditya Pradana Putra)
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resident-elect Prabowo Subianto has taken steps to resolve an escalating conflict between the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the country’s largest Islamic group, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), as he plans to meet with leaders of both organizations.
The Gerindra Party chairman met with PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar on Thursday evening at his official residence, the Widya Chandra ministerial housing complex in South Jakarta, where the two leaders held a one-and-a-half-hour closed-door discussion.
Gerindra Party executive chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said Prabowo intended to meet with the leadership of NU’s executive board in the coming days.
“[The meeting may happen] in a day or two," said Sufmi, who declined to reveal the subject of Prabowo’s upcoming discussion with NU executive board leaders.
The PKB is a political party that was established by NU leaders. But under the leadership of Muhaimin, it became estranged from NU as a result of his conflict with the late Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, a renowned NU leader and a former president of Indonesia.
The conflict resurfaced recently when Muhaimin, in his capacity as a House of Representatives deputy speaker, initiated a legislative inquiry into the government’s organization of this year’s haj, which was marred by allegations of poor service and misuse of the country’s haj quota.
The country’s haj management is the responsibility of the Religious Affairs Ministry, an institution that has been led by NU figures.
