Lamongan, NU Online
Ahead of the First Congress of Nahdlatul Ulama Scholars Association (ISNU) which will be held on 17 - 20 February 2012, a number of NU cadres have been nominated as candidates of general chairman of ISNU.

The NU cadres are, among others, Chairman of the Constitutional Court Mahfud MD, Member of the State Audit Board (BPK) Ali Masykur Musa and Minister for Development of Disadvantaged Regions (PDT) Helmy Faisal Zaini.

The Organizing Committee chief Muhammad Qoderi said that the three had expressed their readiness if elected as general chairman of ISNU for a future period.

"They express no objection when they are given the mandate to lead ISNU," he told NU Online here on Thursday (16/2).

Qoderi said that the general chairman hopefuls would officially be announced at the much-awaited congress.

He added that the ISNU leader would not directly be elected by congress participants, but by the formative team consisting of 7 representatives in congress, and 2  representing the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) and the senior board member of ISNU.

The congress would reportedly be attended by such prominent figures as the House Speaker Marzuki Ali, Mahfud MD, Minister of Education M. Nuh, and Deputy Chairman of PBNU H As'ad Said Ali, Minister of Health Endang Rahayu S., Minister of Public Housing, Djan Farid, Irnanda Laksanawan Asistant Deputy Minister at Ministry for State Owned Enterprises.

The first congress of the autonomous body was decided at the NU''s 32nd Congress in Makassar in 2010, and will be preceded by a pre-congress activities such as mass circumcision, carnivals and tanbourine festivals. (nam)