Amien, Wiranto vow neutrality, abstention in September runoff

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Two former presidential candidates have elected not to support either Megawati Soekarnoputri or Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the Sept. 20 election runoff, but did encourage supporters to vote in the upcoming poll.

Wiranto and Amien Rais, who finished third and fourth respectively in the first round of the presidential election on July 5, also pledged to respect and support whoever was elected president.

"We give our party leaders and sympathizers the freedom to vote for either candidate in the upcoming election," Amien said after a meeting attended by 27 central executive board members and 32 regional leaders of his National Mandate Party (PAN) on Friday evening.

Incumbent President Megawati and her former security minister Susilo will contest the Sept. 20 runoff.

Another former presidential candidate, Hamzah Haz, who is also Megawati's Vice President, has announced his support for his boss.

"We urge all of our supporters to exercise their right to vote based on their conscience, while taking into account the reform agenda," Amien said.

Amien, who is the leader of PAN, acknowledged that about 55 percent of the central executive board members and regional party leaders backed Susilo and his running mate, Jusuf Kalla, in the runoff, while the remainder preferred to remain neutral or supported Megawati and running mate Hasyim Muzadi.

Prior to the meeting, Amien, who is also speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, met with Megawati at her residence in Kebagusan, South Jakarta. However, he refused to reveal what the pair discussed.

Amien said he also met with Susilo and Kalla on Thursday night to talk about how to promote honesty and fairness in the runoff.

"My visit to Ibu Megawati's home, as well as with Pak Susilo and Pak Kalla last night (Thursday), were exchange visits because they separately visited me at my residence," Amien said.

Earlier in the day, Wiranto and his running mate, Solahuddin Wahid, who were nominated by the Golkar Party, announced they would not endorse either presidential candidate in the runoff.

Wiranto, who received the Golkar candidacy after edging out party leader Akbar Tandjung at Golkar's presidential convention in May, said he had decided not to back either candidate.

Golkar, which received the most votes in the April 5 legislative election, has formed a loose coalition with the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), the Christian- oriented Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to support Megawati in the runoff. The four parties control a total of 307 seats in the 550- member House of Representatives.

Megawati, who is seeking a full five-year term, is also supported by the Muslim-based Reform Star Party (PBR).

"We are not party members. We have no obligation to follow the political line of Golkar," Wiranto said.

Susilo, who was nominated by the Democratic Party, the Crescent Star Party and the Indonesia Unity and Justice Party (PKPI), has won the endorsement of the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party, which received 8.3 million votes in the legislative election thanks in large part to its anticorruption platform.