Umarsyah Asks For The Congress To Be Canceled, PKB: PBNU Cannot Do Practical Politics, Especially Prohibiting

The 6th PKB Congress (Diah Ayu/VOI)

NUSA Dua - Deputy Secretary General of PBNU Syaiful Huda responded to the statement by the Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board, Umarsyah, who asked for the 6th Congress to be canceled. Huda considers the statement only a personal opinion and not on behalf of PBNU as a community organization (ormas).

"It seems that it is a personal attitude. If that is an appeal for personal attitude, then we don't know who he represents. He is also not a PKB person," said Huda at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC), Bali, Saturday, August 24.

Huda assessed that the statement made by Umarsyah with his position as Chairman of PBNU was not appropriate. Because, according to him, PBNU cannot prohibit party political activities.

"If it's PBNU, then PBNU should not practice politics, let alone ban it. That's not appropriate. It blames PBNU's AD/ART," said Huda.

Previously, PBNU Chairman Habib Umarsyah asked the National Awakening Party (PKB) to cancel the implementation of the congress in Bali which is planned to take place on August 24-25. Given the plan to implement the PKB Congress, it was rejected by a number of elements of Balinese society.

"We are worried that if forced, there will be friction between elements of society," said Habib Umarsyah in Jakarta.

For information, the rejection of the implementation of the VI PKB Congress came from the Bali Tourism Youth, Cultural, and Balinese Youth Axis yesterday. A number of elements of the Balinese people consider the implementation of the PKB Congress to disrupt security in Bali.

There are three points of their statement of attitude. First, urge the local government and the Bali Regional Police to act and be firm on all forms of possibility that have the potential to disrupt Bali's economic stability as a national tourism center.

Second, urge the head of the regional government and the head of the Bali regional police on all possibilities that have the potential to threaten the stability of the security and peaceful situation of the Balinese people.

Third, urge the head of the Bali regional government and regional police to cancel and revoke the permit for the implementation of the PKB Congress which will be held on August 24-25, 2024 at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center.

Therefore, Habib Umarsyah asked the PKB elites to hear the aspirations of the Balinese people and cancel the implementation of the congress on the Island of the Gods.

"I'm afraid that if forced later there will be friction between elements of society," he said.

The congress is the highest decision-making forum for PKB ahead of the change of management attended by all representatives or envoys from the regional leadership council (DPW) and branch leadership councils (DPC) throughout Indonesia, including the PKB autonomous body. This year, the congress was attended by thousands of PKB cadres.

In the implementation of the Congress later, the PKB DPC will propose a figure who will continue the PKB leadership for the 2024-2029 period.