Big parties eying more votes in 2004

Big parties eying more votes in 2004

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The country's four largest political parties organized separate
events over the weekend as they begin to gather pace for the
general election in April 2004.

In the Central Java town of Surakarta, the first gentleman,
Taufik Kiemas, attended a gathering with supporters of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). During
the event, he urged the supporters to respect the party and its
chairwoman, Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also President.

Taufik said that with the right attitude the party would be
able to repeat its victory in the last general election.

Taufik, a legislator in the House of Representatives, was in
the sultanate town to celebrate the party's anniversary with
local supporters.

Deep cracks have formed in the party since Megawati assumed
the presidency in July 2001. This was evident when party members
in local legislatures defied the central board over regental and
gubernatorial elections. The split cost the party some posts in
local governments despite its superiority in the legislature.

Also, a number of party leaders have defected and set up their
own parties because of their disappointment with Megawati's
leadership.

PDI Perjuangan won 34 percent of the vote in the 1999
elections, the most of any of the parties contesting the vote.

Separately, Akbar Tandjung, who chairs the second largest
political party, Golkar, expressed optimism the party would
obtain at least 20 percent of the vote in the next elections.

Golkar was the ruling party during the Soeharto regime, but
lost its hold on power during the last elections.

Speaking in the South Sumatra capital of Palembang, Akbar, who
has been convicted of corruption but remains free on appeal, said
the party needed solidarity and solidity to achieve its goals.

Akbar also said Golkar would deploy two million of its members
as election monitors.

He refused to say who the party's presidential candidates
would be, only indicating that the matter would be discussed
during the party's leadership meeting scheduled for the end of
April.

Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the United Development Party
(PPP), Bachtiar Chamsyah, said in Surabaya that party chairman
Hamzah Haz should be reelected to lead the party.

Hamzah, who is also the Vice President, has expressed some
reticence to serving another term as PPP chairman.

"But it all depends on the participants of the party congress
scheduled for May," Bachtiar told Antara.

Bachtiar said the congress would decide whether Hamzah would
remain chairman.

On the sidelines of a mass prayer for peace hosted by the
National Awakening Party in Semarang on Sunday, the party's
deputy chairman Mahfud MD said several influential clerics had
been consulted about possible presidential candidates.

However, Mahfud refused to identify any possible candidates,
saying the party first had to hold its national meeting in mid-
May.

"The candidate will not differ from the one backed by our
supporters at the grassroots," Mahfud said.

Former president and the party's chief patron, Abdurrahman
Wahid, has expressed his intention to run for the presidency.