Lecturer, STIE YPUP Makassar
Keywords: NU, Independence, Muktamar, Kiai.
WIN Media, Opinion – The 35th Congress of Nahdlatul Ulama, held at the Bahrul Ulum Islamic Boarding School in Tambakberas, Jombang, from August 27–31, 2026, has become a major national focus. In the midst of the race for the position of PBNU Chairman, one fundamental question has emerged.
How independent is NU in the post-one-century era? The issue of “Palace approval” and the potential for state intervention have once again haunted every congress. NU’s independence is not merely a rhetorical discourse, but a non-negotiable price for the existence of NU as a socio-religious organization and the nation’s moral guardian. The 35th Congress must serve as a momentum to reaffirm NU’s commitment to independence amidst the various threats lurking from within and outside the organization.
Independence in the Mirror of History and NU’s Khittah
The spirit of service, or khidmah, bequeathed by Hadratussyaikh KH Hasyim Asy’ari must become the primary principle for every executive and regional delegate involved in the Congress. NU was founded as a jam’iyah diniyah ijtima’iyah, a socio-religious organization, not a tool of political power.
KH Ma’ruf Amin, a Mustasyar (senior advisor) of PBNU, affirmed his confidence that the government would not interfere in the 35th NU Congress. He reminded the public of the government’s consistent track record of not intervening in NU’s internal affairs; even when conflicts occurred in the past, they were all resolved through internal islah (reconciliation). “I am confident, we are confident, that the government will not do that,” Ma’ruf stated in a press conference at the PBNU office on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
The Silaturahmi Forum of Senior Kiais, attended by dozens of prominent clerics, called for the Congress to proceed with a cool, honest, fair, and dignified atmosphere. The call emphasized respect for the sovereignty of the muktamirin (congress delegates); there must be no designs, mechanisms, conditioning, or manipulations that reduce their freedom in carrying out their mandate.
The Congress, as emphasized by the senior kiais, must be a place where the will of the muktamirin is expressed freely, not a place for decisions that have been pre-conditioned. The Congress is not an arena for contesting who wins or loses, but a forum for deliberation among scholars and the holders of the organization’s mandate.
Threats to Independence: Between Issue and Reality
Gus Yahya, Chairman of PBNU, accused the issue of Palace intervention as a tactic by certain parties to intimidate the congress participants. “I absolutely do not believe it. It is impossible for the Palace to do that. It is just a claim to scare people,” he said when met at the Darul Ma’arif Islamic Boarding School in Bandung Regency on Friday, August 21, 2026. However, the mere existence of such an issue is enough to contaminate the congress atmosphere and cast doubt on the independence of the process.
On the other hand, Kiai Musta’in Syafi’ie, a senior kiai from the Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School, assessed that the practice of money politics ahead of the 35th NU Congress is not just an issue, but a factual condition on the ground. “This is no longer just an issue, but a reality. There are those who admit it,” he firmly stated during a discussion titled “Stop Transactional Politics at the NU Congress” in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Kiai Musta’in warned of potential intervention from external parties that could influence the independence of the clerics. He even reminded, “If you want to destroy a kiai, give them material things.”
Socio-political observer Fachry Ali assessed that the 35th NU Congress must be a momentum to end factionalism within the organization. According to him, the root of the problem is the groups within NU that depend on external political forces, and this must be resolved comprehensively. He asserted that factionalism cannot merely be suppressed in the lead-up to the Congress.
Consequences If Independence is Eroded
When the elected leadership “bears a political debt,” NU’s independence as a moral force will be at stake. Fachry Ali warned that failure to resolve factionalism could cause PBNU to lose legitimacy and authority in the eyes of Nahdliyin members. He explained that the social structure of Nahdliyin is decentralized; many kiais have their own boarding schools, educational institutions, followers, and relatively independent bases of influence. However, if PBNU’s legitimacy weakens, this decentralized structure has the potential to develop into fragmentation and give rise to “local anarchism”, a situation where NU forces in the regions operate based on their own authority without heeding the direction of PBNU’s formal structure.
A survey by Parameter Politik Indonesia involving 1,200 respondents across 38 provinces from July 20 to August 3, 2026, found that 76.1 percent of NU members want the organization to focus on religious affairs and community welfare. A total of 65.8 percent agreed that NU should distance itself from practical politics, while 29 percent disagreed. These findings provide a clear picture of the expectations of NU members regarding the organization’s direction amidst internal dynamics leading up to the Congress. Energy spent on practical political conflicts means NU loses focus on serving the people, despite the majority of its members wanting the opposite.
Draw Closer to the Almighty
NU’s independence is not a legacy that is automatically preserved; it must be fought for at every congress. KH Ma’ruf Amin has given the assurance that the Palace will not interfere. Now it is the turn of all elements of NU, from senior kiais, executives, to muktamirin, to prove that NU is capable of determining its own destiny.
Rejection of transactional politics, as called for by various PWNU and PCNU throughout Indonesia, must become a shared commitment. The sovereignty of the muktamirin must be fully respected; there must be no manipulation that reduces their freedom in carrying out their mandate.
KH Abdul Matin Djawahir, Deputy Head of the Syuriah Council of PWNU East Java, firmly reminded: “NU should not draw close to those in power, but draw closer to the Almighty”, meaning Allah SWT. The 35th Congress in Tambakberas, the birthplace of KH Abdul Wahab Hasbullah, one of the founders of NU, must give birth to a leadership that is independent, has integrity, and sides with the interests of the people. Not the interests of power. Because in the end, NU belongs to the Nahdliyin members and the nation, not to anyone who sits in a seat of power.