Akbar meets Gus Dur amid speculation on joining forces

Suherdjoko and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta/Makassar

A game of political chess is afoot, with the flurry of meetings between Indonesia's top politicians continuing as the national elections draw closer.

On Sunday morning, Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung met with the National Awakening Party (PKB) patron Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid in the Central Java city of Surakarta. The meeting fueled speculation both presidential hopefuls might join forces in this year's elections.

Gus Dur, however, rejected the notion his breakfast meeting with Akbar would pave the way for a Golkar-PKB coalition.

"It was just a relaxed, informal meeting similar to my meeting with presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto," he said on Sunday. Wiranto, former chief of the Armed Forces, is also running to Golkar's presidential nominee.

The meeting was held in the Roemahku Hotel where Akbar stayed and took place after Gus Dur and Akbar attended a mass rally celebrating the Javanese New Year (Syura) held by the Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace on Saturday night.

The rally was also attended by Wiranto, Central Java Police Head Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi, and a number of foreign dignitaries.

Akbar said he had invited Gus Dur to attend breakfast with his family during the rally.

"I invited him (Gus Dur) to join my family breakfast and Gus Dur agreed. So I served him with Javanese noodles prepared by my wife. There was no formal talk, let alone political talk," said Akbar whose political fortunes surged recently, following the Supreme Court's acquittal of him for corruption charges amounting to Rp 40 billion (US$4.8 million).

Akbar said he also planned to visit Gus Dur in his Ciganjur house in South Jakarta, adding the later had agreed with the plan.

Prior to the meeting, Akbar said that if a coalition should be forged it would only be decided after the April 5 legislative elections.

"We will see (how many) votes we can get first...," he said.

He added the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), which won the 1999 election might still get most of the votes.

"But of course all parties now want to get the majority of the votes," he said.

Akbar said every person who competed at a Golkar convention to stand as the party's presidential candidate ought to be ready to become vice president, expressing his interest in the deputy position.

Gus Dur said after his meeting with Akbar he had his own criteria for accepting a vice president's job.

"This is a problem for my party not the public," he said.

Wiranto, meanwhile, said he would continue with his bid for the Golkar presidential candidacy.

In Makassar, another Golkar presidential hopeful opposed Akbar's statement.

"Akbar's remark is pathetic and irritating. Akbar has started a war in Golkar," Surya Paloh said.

His statement would only discourage Golkar executives and supporters in their struggle to win the elections, Surya said.

"If Golkar convention candidates are only aiming for the vice president's position, then what is the point of holding a convention to pick the best presidential candidate?" he said.

Such remarks should not be repeated as they would only create conflict in Golkar and waste energy that should be used to win the elections.

"If Akbar just wants to be vice president to Megawati, he should say so clearly, and not be shy," he said.