Gus Dur behind Megawati bid despite nomination: Matori
JAKARTA (JP): Party leaders have brushed off Abdurrahman Wahid's acceptance of the presidential nomination by the "axis force", claiming the move is unlikely to affect the race between the main contenders -- Megawati Soekarnoputri and incumbent B.J. Habibie.
National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Matori Abdul Djalil said on Monday that Abdurrahman had not withdrawn his support for Megawati.
"Although Gus Dur has been nominated as a presidential candidate by the axis force, he still supports Megawati's candidacy," Matori said during a discussion on the future cabinet.
Matori, however, did not clarify whether he himself supported Abdurrahman's candidacy.
Abdurrahman, who leads the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization and the founder of the PKB, accepted on Sunday a presidential nomination proposed by Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN).
Amien, who leads a loose coalition of PAN and Muslim-based parties known as the axis force, has been pushing for Abdurrahman to run as an alternative candidate.
In August, Matori pledged his party's support for Megawati's presidential bid.
At the time, Matori said that Megawati, whose Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) won the most votes in the June 7 polls, had the right to lead the country.
Separately, deputy chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) Zarkazih Nur also expressed skepticism that Abdurrahman's candidacy would be supported by the PKB.
"Even as one of the founders of PKB, it is still uncertain that Abdurrahman's candidacy will be supported by Matori," Zarkasih told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
"As I've predicted before, in the run-up to the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly there will be many changes in the political constellation," he added.
Senior PDI-Perjuangan executive Sabam Sirait was diplomatic about Abdurrahman's nomination.
"This is all part of a natural political process in a democracy.
"We just have to follow the process without saying that we agree or disagree. We won't change, because in the party's history he has always been close and given support, even though its particularly toward Megawati," he told the Post.
Commenting on the nomination, the deputy chairman of the Golkar Party, Marzuki Darusman, said the move would have little impact.
"It's a good development, but it won't have much effect on the political constellation.
"Well for Golkar it won't have any impact," he told the Post after attending on Monday an informal gathering of top party officials hosted by senior editors from leading news publications.
The president will be chosen by the People's Consultative Assembly when it convenes next month. It is expected that the Indonesian people will know by Nov. 1. who will lead the country for the next five years. (byg/emf)