Suara.com – Political observer from the University of Jember (Unej) Dr. Muhammad Iqbal believes that the dismissal of the Chair of the East Java Nahdlatul Ulama (PWNU) Regional Management, KH Marzuki Mustamar, was politically fraught ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
“The removal of Kiai Marzuki is proof that East Java is the epicenter of the fierce battle for votes for the three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates,” said Iqbal, Monday (1/1/2024).
According to him, a video circulating of Kiai Marzuki’s moral support for the presidential and vice presidential candidate pair number 1 and several media also reported the refusal of the East Java PWNU Chair to support the presidential and vice presidential candidate pair number 2, so that the public can certainly judge.
“Even though PBNU said that the removal of Kiai Marzuki was due to internal problems, the public’s suspicions were politically charged ahead of the presidential election,” said the Jember University FISIP lecturer.
It is possible that the impact of Kiai Marzuki’s dismissal in terms of political sociology could spread to the dynamics of the presidential election and the network of mass bases and East Javanese sympathizers who know exactly the reality of what is actually happening will be more respectful of Kiai Marzuki’s political preferences.
“On the one hand, the community social network node can become more solid and more consolidative as a form of moral support for this event,” he said as reported by Antara.
According to him, whatever the reason for the dismissal of the East Java PWNU Chair, it should not be carried out before the 2024 presidential election, because this will certainly be in the public spotlight.
“The dismissal case is proof that the largest electoral barn for the Nahdliyin in East Java is the center of competition and struggle for the three presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs,” he said.
Previously, PBNU Secretary General Saifullah Yusuf said that the dismissal of the administrator of the Sabilurrosyad Gasek Islamic Boarding School, Malang City, from the position of Chair of the East Java PWNU was not due to differences in the choice of presidential candidates regarding the 2024 General Election.
“The dismissal was caused by a number of internal NU problems that were out of control. It had nothing to do with political problems at all,” he added.