PBNU Will Hold A Joint Meeting To Determine Congress Schedule

PBNU Chairman Saifullah Yusuf/DOC VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board will hold a joint Syuriyah and Tanfidziyah meeting to determine the schedule for the 34th NU Congress.

PBNU chairman Saifullah Yusuf said in a written statement that the meeting would be held on Tuesday, December 7.

It's just that, added Gus Ipul, as Saifullah Yusuf is known, the letter of invitation to a joint meeting sent by PBNU General Chair KH Said Aqil Siroj is invalid because there are no signatures of Rais Aam and Katib Aam.

"The joint Tanfidziyah and Syuriah meeting must have the full signatures of Rais Aam, Katib Aam, Ketum, and the Secretary-General," said Gus Ipul, quoted by Antara, Saturday, December 4.

In fact, he continued, the joint meeting would not be able to make a decision if Rais Aam was not present.

According to Gus Ipul, apart from being invalid, this invitation was also too late considering the certainty of the timing of the congress which had been decided by Rais Aam by issuing the congress order on December 17, 2021.

Rais Aam PBNU KH Miftachul Ahyar issued a congress order on December 17 after a joint meeting, Wednesday, November 24, which was attended by Rais Aam, Katib Aam, Ketum, and the Secretary-General failed to agree on a date for the summit.

The meeting was then agreed to continue on Thursday, November 25. However, only Rais Aam and Katib Aam were present, while the Ketum and Secretary-General of PBNU did not come for unclear reasons.

"It is this lack of clarity about the arrival of the General Chair and the Secretary-General of PBNU that on Friday (26/11) Rais Aam KH Miftachul Ahyar issued an order to hold a congress on December 17, 2021," said Gus Ipul.

According to him, the December 17, 2021 congress also considered the mandate of the Great Conference of PBNU management to end on December 25, 2021, so postponing the congress after December 25 was unconstitutional.

In addition, it is also uncertain to postpone the congress because the COVID-19 pandemic will not necessarily be better in January 2022.

The 34th NU Congress was previously scheduled for 23-25 December 2021 in Lampung Province. However, considering that the government will implement PPKM level 3 on December 24, 2021, to January 2, 2022, the time for the congress will be rescheduled.