Coalitions only benefit the elite, analysts say

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Coalitions of parties to help presidential candidates win the September election runoff would not benefit the nation as a whole but instead serve largely the interests of the political elite, analysts said on Sunday.

They said the coalitions of political parties to back either Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla or Megawati Soekarnoputri-Hasyim Muzadi were apparently aimed at power- sharing in the next Cabinet.

"I think the purpose of a political coalition is for power sharing. It is a (logical) consequence," Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) rector Azyumardi Azra told The Jakarta Post.

Similarly, J. Kristiadi of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that such coalitions would tarnish the direct presidential system.

"The coalitions will only show the real character of our political leaders," he said, referring to their power-hungry tactics.

According to Kristiadi a coalition would be useful if it was designed to build effective communication between the presidential candidates and voters.

However, he stressed that the current coalitions forged by parties would not effectively influence voters because they already had their own political preferences.

Azyumardi further said political parties needed to join forces due to the fact that no major party had secured the majority of seats in the House of Representatives.

"With a coalition, political stability can be maintained. How long a coalition can last will depend on the political parties grouped in it," he added.

According to Azyumardi, it would be too risky for the elected president not to form a coalition because there would be many policies that require the endorsement of the House.

Recently, three major parties -- the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), as well as the smaller Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) -- declared a coalition to support Megawati's reelection bid.

Leaders of the four parties have vowed that the "Nationhood Coalition" would be a permanent alliance until 2009. The major coalition of the four parties will make up 308 seats in the House.

Kristiadi said he doubted whether such a coalition would last. "The political leaders say they will make a permanent coalition. They forget that a coalition is simply built in the interests of their respective parties," he argued.

Meanwhile, the Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) decided last week to back the nomination of Megawati's former chief security minister, Susilo, who won the first round of presidential election on July 5.

Support also came from the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party apart from the newly created Democratic Party that nominated Susilo. The three parties including the PKS will make up 112 seats in the House.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) led by defeated candidate Amien Rais announced on Friday that it would stay neutral in the Sept. 20 election runoff, but would allow its supporters to vote either for Susilo or Megawati. The party has 53 seats in the House.

Though former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid endorsed on Saturday Susilo's candidacy in his personal capacity, his National Awakening Party (PKB) with 52 members in the House has yet to decide on its stance.

Susilo had initially said he would build a political coalition only after he won the presidency. Fearing that he could lose party support, he changed his mind and approached several political leaders.