PBNU Will Meet Ma'ruf Amin, Discuss Conflict With PKB

Rais Syuriah PBNU who is also a member of the Cholil Nafis/PHOTO panel team: Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - The Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board will meet with Vice President Ma'ruf Amin to seek information to explore the root of the conflict between PBNU and PKB.

Ma'ruf Amin is the former Rais Aam Nahdlatul 10th cleric for the 2015-2018 period. Member of the PBNU panel team Cholil Nafis said that his party needed to get a view from Ma'ruf Amin on this issue as one of the founders of PKB.

"God willing, we will also come later, sowan, not summon, yes, to Kiai Ma'ruf Amin, because he was also from the beginning who founded PKB," said Cholil at the PBNU office, Central Jakarta, Monday, August 5.

Cholil, who is also Rais Syuriah PBNU, said that his party needed information from many parties, especially NU figures so that they could get complete information.

This, he continued, was needed by PBNU before taking a stand in dealing with the problems of PBNU and PKB tidakkarmonis.

"To KH Ma'ruf Amin, God willing, we will come to him to get sufficient information. So that what we convey is complete, fair information," said Cholil.

Ma'ruf Amin some time ago commented on this issue. According to him, there is no structural relationship between PBNU and PKB. Ma'ruf emphasized that these two organizations do have historical relations, but only PKB was formed to become a political forum for NU citizens.

"I am the chairman of the PKB's first Syuro Council, before Gus Dur as well as me. Actually, PBNU's relationship with PKB is an aspirational relationship, cultural relations, and historical relations, there is no structural relationship," Ma'ruf told reporters, Thursday, August 1.

"So only PKB (which) brings aspirations to NU in politics. So it doesn't intervene with each other. So he (PKB, ed) has independence," he continued.

Previously, the PBNU panel team began working with the aim of returning the PKB to be in line with the NU value. PBNU began to summon former PKB Secretary General Lukman Edy to provide information on Wednesday, July 31.

At that time, Lukman Edy explained that one of the triggers for this problem could occur because PKB Chairman Cak Imin removed the authority of the Shura Council which contained NU kiai in making party decisions.

On August 5 today, the PBNU panel team continued its agenda by inviting PKB Secretary General Hasanuddin Wahid to ask for information. However, Hasanuddin was not present at the PBNU Office.