PDI-P and PPP coalesce in C. Java gubernatorial race<\/p>\n
Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang<\/p>\n
Central Java councilors from the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the United Development (PPP)
\nfactions have nominated provincial council head and PDI
\nPerjuangan faction member Mardijo for the Central Java
\ngubernatorial election this year.<\/p>\n
The two factions nominated Hisyam Alie, the head of the PPP
\nfaction at the council, as Mardijo's running mate for deputy
\ngovernor.<\/p>\n
\"We, from the United Development faction, formed a coalition
\nwith the PDI Perjuangan faction to nominate Mardijo and Hisyam
\nAlie for the upcoming governorship race,\" Achmad Thoyfoer, the
\nhead of the East Java PPP chapter and deputy to council head,
\nsaid on Monday.<\/p>\n
The move could earn the pair at least 49 votes from among the
\n100 members at the East Java council. The PDI-P faction has 39
\nmembers on the council and the PPP faction 10.<\/p>\n
Both nominees must each secure at least 51 percent of the
\ncouncil's vote in order to win the election.<\/p>\n
\"We will respect anybody who wants to join the gubernatorial
\nrace for East Java. It might be that there are many candidates
\nwho are better than Mardijo and Hisyam Alie, but in reality we
\nmust see whether the others have supporters or not,\" Achmad said.<\/p>\n
He explained that PPP hoped its coalition with PDI Perjuangan
\nwould boost its chances of having one of its member win the
\nelection.<\/p>\n
\"By nominating Hisyam Alie as the deputy governor alongside
\nMardijo, this marks a political move by PPP to secure a post.\"<\/p>\n
He added the nomination was an initiative from the council,
\nand that thus far the PPP executive board had made no comment.<\/p>\n
\"So far, there hasn't been any intervention from the executive
\nboard regarding the nomination,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Under the autonomy laws, Jakarta has delegated the appointment
\nof governors and regents down to the provinces and regencies.<\/p>\n
But governorships in the three provinces of Java have normally
\nbeen reserved to candidates with military backgrounds, and were
\nappointed by the party's executive boards.<\/p>\n
The East Java PDI Perjuangan faction has yet to disclose
\nwhether it had obtained the executive board's support for
\nnominating Mardijo.<\/p>\n
Despite the autonomy laws, PDI Perjuangan Chairwoman Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, Indonesia's President, has often pressured party
\nmembers to accept candidates she named.<\/p>\n
Among those that were sidelined due to her interference were
\ngubernatorial candidates in Lampung, West Java and Jakarta.<\/p>",
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