Susilo changes tack and meets leaders<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Surabaya<\/p>\n
Changes are visible in Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's efforts to win
\nthe presidency and keep up with his rival Megawati Soekarnoputri,
\nwho has met with a host of powerful political leaders in the past
\nweek.<\/p>\n
While maintaining that he would not build a coalition with
\nother parties ahead of the Sept. 20 election -- to prevent horse-
\ntrading -- Susilo and running mate Jusuf Kalla have met or will
\nstill meet some of the same party leaders that Megawati has been
\nwooing.<\/p>\n
On Friday Susilo met National Mandate Party (PAN) leader Amien
\nRais at the latter's home in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Amien, who finished fourth with nearly 15 percent of the vote
\nin the five-way election on July 5, is the first top political
\nleader Susilo has formally met with.<\/p>\n
The red-hot favorite in the presidential election is looking
\nforward to meeting Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, who as president
\nfired him as chief security minister in 2001.<\/p>\n
\"We will hold talks with Gus Dur. We consider him a respected
\nfigure. We hope to listen to his views on how to give the best to
\npeople and the country,\" Susilo said on the sidelines of a
\ncoordination meeting with his campaign team in Surabaya on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said he welcomed Susilo's offer, but insisted that he
\npersonally would not vote in the next round.<\/p>\n
Susilo said in Jakarta on Sunday that he would wait to speak
\nwith representatives of the Golkar Party, which garnered the most
\nvotes in the April 5 legislative election, since \"I'm still
\nwaiting for the verdict by the Constitutional Court.\"<\/p>\n
Golkar's presidential candidate Wiranto has filed a complaint
\nwith the Constitutional Court alleging that he and running mate
\nSolahuddin Wahid lost some 5.4 million votes to inaccuracies and
\ninconsistencies.<\/p>\n
Wiranto received 26.2 million votes in the July 5 election,
\nbehind Susilo's 38.8 million votes and incumbent Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri's 31.5 million.<\/p>\n
\"My party will have around 12 percent of the seats in the
\nHouse of Representatives and if I win the September election my
\nadministration may have a difficult time carrying out policies
\nunless I develop a coalition with other parties in the House.<\/p>\n
\"But since Pak Wiranto is filing a complaint with the court --
\nand none of us can predict the verdict -- it isn't ethical for me
\nto make any political approach to Golkar,\" Susilo said during a
\npress conference.<\/p>\n
The remark came amid mounting criticism that Susilo, who has
\ntopped all the opinion polls, was not open to possible
\ncoalitions.<\/p>\n
Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung seems to have given a green light
\nfor a coalition with Megawati, who stepped up her political
\nlobbying after the General Elections Commission (KPU) officially
\nannounced on Monday that she qualified for the second round.<\/p>\n
Megawati has held a series of meetings with other party
\nleaders, including Hamzah Haz of the United Development Party
\n(PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB)'s patron Gus Dur and
\nAkbar last Friday.<\/p>\n
She is also arranging a meeting with Amien Rais.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Megawati visited the ailing, influential
\nNahdlatul Ulama cleric Abdullah Faqih, who prior to the July
\npolls called on his followers not to vote for her.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/susilo-changes-tack-and-meets-leaders-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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