PBNU and PDIP warn NU Muktamar not to become power grab

Ahead of the Nahdlatul Ulama Muktamar, two similar messages emerged urging the forum not to get drawn into a struggle for power. PBNU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf asked participants to set their intentions carefully and keep personal and group interests out of the Muktamar process in Jombang. He also said the leadership vote should reflect religious values and not be tainted by money politics or transactions. Separately, PDIP DPP Chairman Said Abdullah said the Muktamar’s energy should be directed toward issues facing the ummah and the nation, not a pragmatic contest for leadership. He said NU faces grassroots challenges including poverty, unemployment, a farm crisis, environmental pressures, and global strain on the economy and democracy.