PBNU Affirms Will Not Hold A Competitive PKB Congress

PBNU's briefing to GP Ansor and Pagar Nusa in Central Jakarta, Friday, August 16. (Diah-VOI)

Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board Umarsyah emphasized that his party would not hold an extraordinary congress against the 6th National Awakening Party (PKB) congress which will be held on August 24-25.

This was in response to the statement by the General Chairperson of PKB Muhaimin Iskandar (Cak Imin) who emphasized that he would dissolve the PKB counter congress if it was held later.

"Information from where is it? It's not clear. The information is not clear, the accusations are not clear. That's what we regret. Why is there always an unclear narrative like that," Umarsyah said after the PBNU briefing to GP Ansor and Pagar Nusa in Central Jakarta, Friday, August 16.

Umarsyah explained, during a meeting at the Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School, Jombang, East Java, some time ago PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya) received a mandate from Rais Aam PBNU to improve PKB.

There is no discourse to hold an extraordinary congress in the mandate. Thus, the NU Santri Commander also denied the assumption that PBNU would take over PKB from Cak Imin.

"The link with Rais Aam's mandate to the General Chair of PBNU, it is not to hold an extraordinary congress, please note this, but to improve, the term is to improve conditions in the PKB DPP," said Umarsyah.

On that occasion, Umarsyah explained the cause of the mandate to Gus Yahya to evaluate PKB because the party policy led by Cak Imin has now deviated from NU's teachings.

Cak Imin is considered to have ruled out the role of the PKB Shura Council in making party strategic decisions. "Those who have shifted at this time have shifted, have shifted. No longer in the Shura Council, but in the General Chair," he said.

Previously, Muhaimin Iskandar warned of the potential for a different counter congress from the PKB Congress on August 24-25 in Bali.

If there are certain parties who hold a counter congress in the midst of the current conflict between PKB and PBNU, Cak Imin will not hesitate to ask the National Police Chief, General Listyo Sigit, to dissolve it.

"There is only 1 congress in Bali. If there are people on behalf of the PKB Congress, it's wild. I ask the National Police Chief to firmly dissolve it for the sake of the Political Party Law," said Cak Imin at Darul Rahman Islamic Boarding School, South Jakarta, Thursday, August 15.

Cak Imin emphasized that the counter congress in addition to the PKB DPP management was illegal. This is because PKB is a legal and protected political party under law.

"We as legal political parties are protected by law based on the Political Party Law. I am the Deputy Chairman of the DPR RI valid, Mr. Jazil Deputy Chairperson of the MPR RI is legal, then this party is legally valid. If there is something in the name of PKB, don't blame it if we disband," explained Cak Imin.

On that occasion, Cak Imin emphasized that PKB and PBNU were two different entities where PKB was established based on Law (UU) Number 2 of 2011 concerning Political Parties. Meanwhile, PBNU was established based on Law Number 17 of 2013 concerning Community Organizations.

Thus, Cak Imin asked PBNU not to interfere in PKB's internal affairs.

"People can already judge that there is a desire for the lust of some people at PBNU to ride to PKB. I need to say it firmly, we have a constitution. Let's use each other's constitutional rights, use the Political Party Law, use the Ormas Law. I ask that if there are various kinds of things, return to the constitution," he said.