Fuming Akbar sends PPP packing

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Infuriated by the United Development Party's (PPP) move to nominate its own candidate for the House of Representatives speakership post, Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung said on Saturday the Muslim-based party was out of a coalition he leads.

"Although the PPP has not yet made an official statement expressing its withdrawal from the coalition, it is already out of it," Akbar said after a meeting between political factions at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) here.

Akbar is also the formal leader of the coalition, which was established in mid-August to support Megawati Soekarnoputri's bid for a full five-year mandate. Golkar, Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the PPP and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) all signed up to the coalition.

The coalition failed to match the popularity of Megawati's rival Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the Sept. 20 runoff, with the latter on course for a landslide victory.

Akbar said that as a consequence of the PPP's exclusion from the coalition, the party would not be represented in a package of candidates nominated for the Assembly speakership and deputy speakerships.

"We will pick a candidate from the PKB instead," Akbar said, referring to the National Awakening Party, which was founded by Nahdlatul Ulama clerics.

In the election of House leaders on Friday, the PPP broke ranks with the so-called Nationhood Coalition by nominating youth member Endin Sofihara for the speakership post, and E.E. Mangindaan from the Democratic Party, Ahmad Farhan Hamid of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Ali Masykur Musa (PKB) as his deputies.

The Nationhood Coalition nominated Golkar's Agung Laksono for the House speakership, and Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno of the PDI-P, Muhaimin Iskandar of the PKB and Zainal Maarif of the Reform Star Party (PBR) as deputy speakers.

Agung was elected speaker with 280 votes against Endin's 257, replacing Akbar who now has no seat in the House.

Contacted separately, the PPP's secretary-general, Tosari Widjaja, said his party had indeed decided to go its own way.

"We nominated our own candidates in the election for the House leaders to challenge the candidates of the Nationhood Coalition and we will do the same in the election of MPR leaders," Tosari told reporters here.

He said that in the election for Assembly leaders, his party would join forces with PAN, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Democratic Party, the PKB and the grouping made up of a number of minor parties.

However, Tosari denied suggestions that his party had formally quit the Nationhood Coalition.

"I don't have the authority to state that the PPP has withdrawn from the coalition. There has to be an official decision made by the party's executive board," he said.

Earlier in the day, PDI-P deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo said despite the PPP's move, the Nationhood Coalition remained solid.

"Politics is very fluid. Shifting alliances can emerge at any time. But the PPP is still part of the coalition," he said.

Pramono said that the leaders of the coalition were committed to maintaining the alliance, even in the light of Megawati's imminent defeat in the presidential election.