Said Aqil Siradj, new NU Chairman

Said Aqil Siradj is elected new chairman of Nahdlatul Ualama, the largest Moslem organization in Indonesia, replacing Hasyim Muzadi. Said will lead NU until 2015.

There were 503 people who had a right to cast a ballot. Said secured 294 votes, while his main rival Slamet Effendy Yusuf got 201 votes. Earlier on Saturday, Sahal Mahfudz, was elected chairman of the advisory board, defeating Hasyim Muzadi. Sahal secured 272 votes, while Hasyim got 180.

The election of NU chairman was conducted in two phases where only candidates with minimum support of 99 could go to the final round. Said got 178 votes, Slamet 158, while Salahuddin Wahid (brother of the late former president Abdurrahman Wahid) only got 83 votes, followed by young NU intellectual Ulil Absar Abdalla (22 votes), Ahmad Bagja (36), Masdar Farid Mas'udi (6), Ali Machsan Moesa (8), Hasyim Muzadi (6), and Abdul Azis (7).

Who is Said?

Born in Cirebon, West Java in 1953, Said graduated with bachelor degree, master, and PhD from Saudi Arabia universities. A father of four, he has been member of NU's executive board since 1999. Said is lecturer and professor at some universities in East Java. In 1998-1999, Said was a member of National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

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