PBNU Chairman Candidate Exchange Said Aqil Siradj Ready To Go Again: Gus Dur Also 3 Times

Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) KH Said Aqil Siradj

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board, KH Said Aqil Siradj, is ready if he is re-nominated as chairman of PBNU for the third time. NU will again hold a congress in December 2021.

"If asked, ready. There are no restrictions (AD/ART or Statutes and bylaws). There is no problem, Gus Dur also three times", said Kiai Said at the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School, Kediri City, East Java, Thursday, October 7.

He said, for the implementation of the NU Congress, it was ready. He also hoped for prayers from the elders so that the congress would run successfully.

"It's ready, God willing. Kiai, elders pray for a successful, cool, dignified, quality congress", he said as quoted by Antara.

He also said that he deliberately visited the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School, Kediri City. Actually, he had wanted to go to the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School for a long time, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was only now possible.

He also remembers when he was still a student at the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School, Kediri City, from 1968 to 1971. At that time, there were around 2,500 students.

"Thank God I was here (Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School, Kediri City) from 1968 to 1971 and then moved to Krapyak, Yogyakarta, then Makkah al-Mukarramah from 1980 to 1994, came home with four children", said Kiai Said, who also participated in the Thursday Legi recitation in The Conference Hall of the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School, Kediri City.

Previously, Kiai Said and his entourage made a pilgrimage to the graves of the caretakers of the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School, Kediri, which was in the pesantren area. After that, the new group went to the location of the study in the conference hall.

After Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School, Kediri City, the group continued their journey to Al Falah Islamic Boarding School, Ploso Village, Mojo District, Kediri Regency for sowan.

Kiai Said Aqil Siradj has also met with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the State Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (6/10). Some of the discussions between Kiai Said and President Jokowi were the results of the 2021 NU National Conference and Consul and the planned implementation of the NU Congress which will be held on 23-25 December 2021.

The plan is for the location of the NU Congress to be held in Lampung while still implementing strict health protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is planned that the activities will also take place online and offline.

The plan to elect the chairman of the tanfidziyah or the general chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) at the 2021 Muktamar will be carried out using the one man one vote method by the owners of the vote.

At the 33rd NU Congress in Jombang, East Java, which took place in 2015, KH Said Aqil Siradj was re-elected as Chair of the PBNU Tanfidziyah by acclamation after another candidate, KH As'ad Ali Said, resigned in the second round of elections.