News

ICMI new leader may be political or non-political figure

NU Online  ·  Ahad, 5 Desember 2010 | 03:08 WIB

Bogor, NU Online
The fifth congress of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) is to elect a new leader without any special preference for either a political or non-political figure, a spokesman for the event's steering committee said.

"It does not matter if the elected figure (for ICMI's 2010-2015 presidium chairman) is a politician as long as we make a code of conduct that prohibits him or her to use ICMI to serve his or her political party`s interest," Dr.Arif Budimanta said here Saturday. />
Budimanta, deputy secretary of ICMI's fifth congress steering committee, further said whatever the figure's background was, the elected leader had to have a clear commitment.

ICMI's elected leader should remain committed to advancing civilization through the power of ideas, sciences, discoveries, and innovations, he said.

Therefore, there was no need to debate whether ICMI's elected leader should be a politician or not because its leadership election was a "contest of ideas, not a race to gain political power," he said.

ICMI is currently led by a presidium whose members consist of Marwah Daud Ibrahim, Muslimin Nasution, Nanat Fatah Natsir, Azyumardi Azra, and Hatta Rajasa.

The West Java city of Bogor will host the ICMI's fifth congress due to be kicked off on Sunday.

Before going to Bogor, about 1,200 participants will attend the official opening session due to be held at the presidential palace in Jakarta.

The three-day congress itself will officially be opened by Vice President Boediono.

Husen As-Sholeh, the congress' committee member, told newsmen here Saturday that the event was also featured with a trade exhibition.

The bazaar, participated in by tens of booths belonging to small enterprises, is take place at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), Baranangsiang campus, he said.

ICMI was founded on December 7, 1990. During the Soeharto era, ICMI was one of the powerful organisations. Its first chairman was former president BJ Habibie. (ant/dar)