REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice presidential candidate for incumbent President Joko Widodo in presidential election 2019, KH Ma'ruf Amin was ready to hand over his postition as Nahdlatul Ulama supreme leader (rais aam) to his deputy, namely KH Miftahul Akhyar. He stressed that the mechanism to replace supreme leader regulated in NU statute.

"Of course I have to hand over rais aam's assignment to the deputy as rais aam caretaker," he said when attending national meeting of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) and its regional branches in Central Jakarta, on Thursday (August 30) night.

Meanwhile, PBNU Chairman Said Aqil Siradj said the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia would not replace Kiai Ma'ruf yet. Kiai Ma'ruf would still serve as NU supreme leader until September 23rd, until he was officially named as vice presidential candidate by the General Election Commission (KPU).

"We'll talk about it later when he is officially named as vice presidential candidate. Just wait for (September) 23rd," he said.

Earlier, Kiai Ma'ruf has been deactivated from his post as chairman by Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) Advisory Council. MUI asserted it needed to be done to prevent the council from being used for political purposes. The decision was made in accordance with MUI statute.

"One of the articles in MUI statute stated that MUI general chairman and secretary may not serve double posts in MUI and politics,” said Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Advisory Council chairman Din Syamsuddin on Wednesday (August 29).

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