13 parties mull forging coalition<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A group of 13 political parties, mostly Muslim-based, have agreed
\nto form a coalition immediately after the legislative election on
\nApril 5 next year, one party leader confirmed.<\/p>\n
However, political analyst Daniel Sparringa of Airlangga
\nUniversity in Surabaya expressed skepticism about such a
\ncoalition, saying the claim was merely a political ploy by the
\nsmaller parties to get attention.<\/p>\n
Reform Star Party (PBR) chairman Zainuddin M.Z. said on
\nSaturday that the coalition was established in a bid to prepare
\nfor the first direct presidential election scheduled for July 5,
\nwhich requires parties to win at least 5 percent of the votes in
\norder to field a candidate.<\/p>\n
The 13 parties -- there are 24 eligible to run next year --
\nincluded the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PIB), the Freedom Bull
\nNational Party (PNBK), the Marhaenism Indonesian National Party
\n(PNI Marhaenisme), the Pioneer Party (PP), the National Democracy
\nUnity Party (PDK), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) and PBR.<\/p>\n
PPP and PAN were involved in the 1999 election and gained 58
\nand 34 House of Representative seats respectively. All the other
\nparties are newcomers.<\/p>\n
Zainuddin said the agreement was reached during a post-Idul
\nFitri gathering a few days ago in Jakarta, in which the leaders
\nof those 13 parties were all present.<\/p>\n
He, however, acknowledged that the coalition would unavoidably
\nconfront the two largest parties, the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the Golkar Party, which
\nrepresent the nationalist forces.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan and Golkar secured 153 and 120 seats
\nrespectively of the 500 House seats in the 1999 election.<\/p>\n
Separately, PPP chairman and the nation's Vice President
\nHamzah Haz said that a political coalition must not be aimed at
\nblocking the candidacy of certain leaders.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing in a coalition is to create similar
\nvisions, not to block certain leaders,\" he said after opening the
\n1st national meeting of the Islamic Defender's Front (FPI) here
\non Sunday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Daniel expressed doubt that such a coalition would
\nreally become a real alliance.<\/p>\n
According to him, the claim by Zainuddin and his small party
\nwas just political banter.<\/p>\n
\"That is a ploy by the small parties to show their existence.
\nIt is simply political rhetoric,\" he told The Jakarta Post on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
Daniel said any discussions about a coalition would only be
\nmeaningful after the April 5 election. \"Because each party will
\nhave a real idea of its political strength and that of its
\npartners,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A poll by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) found that
\nMuslim voters in Indonesia tend to favor moderate, pluralistic
\nand democratic parties rather than those parties fighting for
\nsharia law or an Islamic state.<\/p>\n
Another survey found that the majority of voters would not
\ntake ideology into consideration when they choose their preferred
\npolitical parties or presidential candidate next year.<\/p>\n
The survey, conducted by Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicated (SSS),
\nfound that candidates with a \"nationalist\" orientation and
\n\"Islamic\" candidates stood an equal chance of winning.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/13-parties-mull-forging-coalition-1447893297",
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