Bag Of Kiai's Restu, Gus Adung Ready To 'Duel' With Cak Imin At The PKB Bali Congress VI

Secretary General of the Central Executive of the Ansor Youth Movement for the 2015-2024 Period Abdul Rochman or Gus Adung. BETWEEN/HO-Personal Documentation.

JAKARTA - Secretary General of the Central Executive of the Ansor Youth Movement for the 2015-2024 Period Abdul Rochman or Gus Adung is ready to fight Muhaimin Iskandar or Cak Imin to win the seat of Chairman of the National Awakening Party. Gus Adung admitted that he had received the blessing of the kiai to run for the chairman of the PKB ahead of the PKB VI Congress which was held on August 24-25 in Bali. Furthermore, he ran for office because he was concerned about the condition of the PKB which was considered urgent to be reorganized. "Montamar VI di Bali menjadi momentum tepat untuk mengembalikan PKB yang lebih berruruah, dan sejalan dengan garis perjuangan para kiai NU (Nahdlatul Ulama). PKB tidak bisa dilepaskan dari kiai karena mereka sebenarnya yang mendiri dan turut mengawal," ujarnya dalam keterangan yang diterima di Jakarta, Antara, Kamis, 22 Agustus. Meanwhile, he said that he had received support from a number of branches and former members of Ansor who took part in the PKB. Therefore, he admitted that he was optimistic that the number of supports for him would continue to grow, so that PKB reforms could be carried out. Moreover, he said, so far many cadres have not dared to speak up because of the leadership style in PKB which is considered far from democratic principles. "PKB must be returned to its spirit, as when the kiai founded 1998, namely as an open, modern and reformist party. Never betray us and deviate from the path of the struggle. Without it, PKB only looks big from outside, but it is essentially fragile and leads to setbacks," he said. Furthermore, he invited PKB administrators and cadres to make the VI Congress a democratic forum to evaluate and find solutions to fix the party in the future, thus reformulating the PKB struggle line so that it is in accordance with principles and idealism when it is established is a necessity. Gus Adung considered that he was ready to bring the PKB forward as a party that adhered to the line of struggle, was close to the kiai, and adaptive to the times.

"We have to make this PKB an open party for anyone, not anti-criticism, not authoritarian and not led in arrogant ways, even with an infinite desire for power," he added.