PNI parties likely to merge for 2004 elections<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
A daughter of former president Sukarno said on Sunday the
\npolitical party she led would likely merge with three other
\nparties with similar support bases.<\/p>\n
\"The PNI (Indonesian National Party) congress in 2000 agreed
\nto merge all of the PNIs with a Marhaen support base into one,\"
\nDiah Mutiara Sukmawati Soekarno said when opening a leadership
\ntraining conference here. Marhaen refers to grassroots level
\nsupporters loyal to her late father.<\/p>\n
The four parties are the Indonesian National Party-Marhaen led
\nby Sukmawati; PNI Front Marhaenis led by businessman
\nProbosutedjo, who is the half-brother of former president
\nSoeharto; the Indonesian National Party led by prominent freedom
\nfighter Supeni; and the Indonesian Nation's National Party.<\/p>\n
None of the four \"PNI parties\" managed to garner the minimum 2
\npercent of votes in the 1999 general election that would have
\nautomatically qualified them to contest the 2004 elections.<\/p>\n
\"We are fighting to be able to take part in the 2004
\nelections,\" Sukmawati, who is the sister of President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, was quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
Merging with other PNI parties will increase the party's
\nchance of taking part in the 2004 elections, she said.<\/p>\n
\"It is our dream to put PNI back in the forefront of
\nIndonesia, as it was in the past. I have been committed to this
\nfrom the beginning,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Sukmawati said she had discussed the merger with the other PNI
\nparties.<\/p>\n
Antara also reported that Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, who heads
\nthe Bung Karno University and is Sukmawati's sister, approved of
\nthe planned merger.<\/p>",
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