Amien's axis goes beyond Muslim-based parties

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ahead of the presidential election political leaders have intensified their meetings, as the new "axis" of Muslim-leaning parties that was declared on Tuesday had widened to include other "nationalist" parties by Wednesday.

After meeting with National Awakening Party (PKB) cofounder Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) president Hidayat Nur Wahid on Tuesday, National Mandate Party (PAN) leader Amien Rais welcomed on Wednesday some other political leaders.

Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK) leader Eros Djarot, Pioneers' Party leader Rachmawati Soekarnoputri and United Democratic Nationhood Party (PDK) leader Ryaas Rasyid all visited Amien's residence on Wednesday.

The ongoing count of the legislative election results, though controversial, has so far confirmed the need for parties to work together.

Amien, one of the president hopefuls and among the initiators of the "Save the nation axis", saw his party's position still stuck in seventh place in the ongoing count as of late Wednesday, with barely 6.5 percent of the vote.

However with over 5 million votes PAN is projected to gain up to 49 of seats in the House of Representatives which has 550 seats.

As of 9:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Golkar was still in the lead with more than 18 million votes, or 20.85 percent of almost 86.5 million votes (nearly 60 percent of the total) counted. Second was the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) with 19.81 percent, PKB with 12.23 percent and the United Development Party (PPP) with 8.28 percent.

The Democratic Party came fifth, PKS sixth and PAN followed with just 6.48 percent of the vote.

Participants at Wednesday's meetings were cautious about acknowledging discussions on possible coalitions while analyst Bachtiar Effendy said an open declaration would gain more support.

The meeting again dismissed views that the axis was aimed at creating a coalition among Islamic-based political parties because the PNBK, PDK and the Pioneers' Party are nationalist- oriented political parties. Amien was also expected to welcome the cleric, Zainuddin MZ, who leads the Reform Star Party (PBR), soon. The party broke off from the established PPP.

Bachtiar said the formation of the above axis was unrealistic, given that the nation was not in a state of emergency, as its name implied. He said that formation of the alliance was nothing more than a political coalition in anticipation of the July 5 presidential election.

"They would gain more support if they declared a coalition openly," he said.

The country will have its first-ever direct presidential election on July 5 and a runoff in September if neither the presidential nor vice presidential candidate wins a majority of the vote. Only political parties or groups of parties gaining at least three percent of House seats, or five percent of the popular vote may nominate a presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University rector Azyumardi Azra said formation of the axis would not work because it "ignored Indonesian political wisdom".

Such political wisdom, he said, referred to the degree of representation of various groups in society as well as the actual political strength of each party.

The coalition would work, he said, if it also included strong political parties that carried a nationalist platform such as Golkar or the PDI-P.

Amien, a presidential hopeful, said a running mate from a nationalist group might help improve votes for his candidacy. He added that earlier notions of asking the Democratic Party's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to be his running mate were no longer feasible, given the latter party's larger vote thus far.