PAN to expand alliance with Islamic parties<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Mandate Party (PAN) is seeking to
\nexpand its alliance with other Islamic parties in order to win
\nmore votes and block conservative groups, deputy chairman A.M.
\nFatwa said here on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Fatwa made clear the intention of PAN -- which is not an
\nIslamic party -- to ally itself with as many Islamic parties as
\npossible in an address to a campaign gathering in Kemayoran,
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The (PAN, PK and PPP) cooperation is valid only for the
\ncampaigning period, it is meant to block status quo camps which
\ntry to perpetuate the New Order,\" Fatwa said.<\/p>\n
Separately, on the Tanah Merah field in Bendungan Hilir, West
\nJakarta, Justice Party (PK) chairman Nur Mahmudi Ismail expounded
\nthe wish to expand the alliance to include other Islamic parties.<\/p>\n
Nur Mahmudi said PK has approached the Islamic People's Party
\n(PUI) and the Masyumi Party while PPP will approach the Crescent
\nStar Party (PBB), the People's Awakening Party (PKU) and the
\nNahdlatul Ummat Party (PNU).<\/p>\n
The parties aim to sign a joint communique at least one week
\nbefore the June 7 general election, he said. The parties will
\nthen combine their extra votes to enable them to get more
\nrepresentatives in the legislative bodies.<\/p>\n
The same sentiment was expressed by Justice Party secretary-
\ngeneral Anis Matta in his campaign speech in Ujungpandang, South
\nSulawesi.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Amien Rais signed a joint communique with PPP and
\nPK to fight pro-status quo forces. This was a surprise move on
\nthe part of Amien, as only on Tuesday he signed a high-profile
\ncooperation agreement with leader of National Awakening Party
\n(PKB) Abdurrahman Wahid and chairwoman of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Amien's maneuvering irked PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil,
\nwho said he planned to review the agreement signed on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"The trouble with Amien is he wants to be president so much,\"
\nhe was quoted by Antara as saying. \"Unless he reins in his
\nambition, reform will be disrupted.\"<\/p>\n
Amien and Abdurrahman have both openly aspired for the
\npresidency. Neither was willing to take second place.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the chairman of the Crescent
\nStar Party (PBB), said in Jakarta his party did not have any
\nintention to ally itself with other parties. Instead, it will
\nbecome an opposition group if it fails to win the elections, he
\nsaid as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
\"A coalition should be clear. If a party forms a coalition
\nwith different parties in different times, we call it hypocrisy,\"
\nYusril told thousands of PBB cadres and supporters during a
\ncampaign in Cakung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He said it would thus be better for PBB to be an opposition
\nparty if it could not get the people's mandate to lead the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
He claimed his party also rejects the status quo, including
\nthe old -- those from the New Order government -- and the new
\npoliticians, meaning those who only want a change in leadership
\nbut not in the system.<\/p>\n
Yusril said that the party's intentions to amend the
\nconstitution and limit the presidential term of office are proof
\nof this rejection of the status quo. \"If I become the next
\npresident, the first step I will take is to limit the
\npresidential term,\" Yusril said.<\/p>\n
In Malang, East Java, Amien Rais said the two communiques he
\nsigned with other parties did not yet represent a real coalition
\nor sharing of power.<\/p>\n
\"There's no contradiction in the agreements,\" he said. \"It is
\njust the five major parties wish to see a safe and conflict-free
\ngeneral election. We also want to block the status quo forces.\"<\/p>\n
\"We'll talk about coalitions later. The five of us can merge,
\nas long as it is not with Golkar,\" he said.<\/p>\n
PAN secretary-general Faisal Basri separately agreed with
\nAmien in Medan, North Sumatra, while in Yogyakarta, PPP leader
\nHusni Thamrien reiterated his party's rejection of Golkar.<\/p>\n
The agreement between Amien, Abdurrahman and Megawati was
\nthought by some to be behind the increasingly friendly atmosphere
\namong parties in some regions. In Blora, East Java, for instance,
\nPAN campaigning was secured by PDI Perjuangan and PKB volunteers.<\/p>\n
\"Their togetherness is being emulated by people at the
\ngrassroots,\" Blora PAN chief Zamura was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
In Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, however, some 100 PPP
\nsupporters lashed out at Hamzah Haz for signing the agreement.<\/p>\n
\"Tell Hamzah, we don't want alliances with other parties,\" one
\nprotester shouted. (23\/27\/39\/40\/44\/nur\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pan-to-expand-alliance-with-islamic-parties-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}