PDI-P plays down anti-Mega coalition<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan) played down on Friday a planned coalition of
\nMuslim-based political parties ahead of the 2004 elections.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan Secretary-General Soetjipto said that if the
\nso-called anti-Megawati coalition were to be established, this
\nwould only prove that she was a strong candidate for the 2004
\nelections, when the country will hold its first ever direct
\npresidential election.<\/p>\n
\"The fact that they have to rally together against Megawati
\nsimply proves that she is very strong,\" Soetjipto was quoted by
\nAntara as saying in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara on Friday.<\/p>\n
Soetjipto was in Mataram attending a meeting of the party's
\nlocal chapter held to discuss the recruitment of candidate
\nlegislators.<\/p>\n
Megawati is the PDI Perjuangan's sole candidate for the
\npresidency in the upcoming 2004 elections.<\/p>\n
In the 1999 election, the PDI Perjuangan garnered 33 percent
\nof the total vote but initially failed to get Megawati into
\nPresidential Palace due to maneuvers by a coalition of several
\nfactions representing Islamic parties in the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR).<\/p>\n
However, this is unlikely to work in the future as the country
\nwill hold a direct presidential election, where the people, not
\nthe political parties, freely choose their own president.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pdi-p-plays-down-anti-mega-coalition-1447893297",
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