Gus Dur behind Megawati bid despite nomination: Matori
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said on Monday that Abdurrahman had not withdrawn his support for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)