NOT POSSIBLE FOR NU TO ESCHEW POLITICS : POLITICIAN

Makassar, March 23 (ANTARA) - A young politician said here on Tuesday that it was impossible for the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) to stay away from politics.

However as a religious organization it certainly will not orientate itself to power, Khatibul Umam Wiranu, the young NU politician, said.

"Based on its history and experience it is impossible for NU not to get involved in politics. Politics for NU however is formulating tactically and strategically statehood politics for the interest of NU's propagation efforts," he said.

In view of that the former activist of the Indonesian Muslim Student Movement (PMII) said NU must be above all political parties.

He also said it was time now for NU to be more serious in its work in the field of economy and the 32nd conference this time could be used as an initial step towards the direction.

He said every 29 years a change has also occurred in the NU orientation since the establishment of the organization in 1926.

In 1955 NU emerged as one of the general elections participants after declaring itself as a political party in 1953.

Later in a congress in Situbondo in 1984 NU also changed its orientation to be a religious and social organization.

According to him, it is time for NU to change to be an organization that plays a concrete role in the economic field in 2013.

"It is in this congress that models of economic movement should be put forward that NU must develop to meet the 2013," he said.

The country's largest Islamic organization is expected to elect new leadership in the congress opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that day.