Coalition seeks House top posts

JAKARTA: After failing to help Megawati Soekarnoputri retain the presidency, a coalition of major parties in the House of Representatives is eying the House's leadership posts.

United Development Party (PPP) leader Hamzah Haz said on Monday the coalition would fight for the House speakership and three deputy posts in an election on Oct. 1.

Hamzah, who is also the Vice President, said the four political parties grouped in the coalition remained united.

The so-called Nationhood Coalition consists of PPP, Golkar, the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). The four parties control 307 of the 550 seats in the House. -- JP