Islamic parties join forces with candidate
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Four Islamic-oriented parties agreed on Saturday to nominate common presidential and vice presidential candidates.
"We will announce our presidential and vice presidential candidates on Monday. The names of the candidates are still being discussed," incumbent vice president and chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) Hamzah Haz told reporters after a meeting at his residence in Bogor, West Java.
The other three parties are the Reform Star Party (PBR), the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). The PKS last week said that it had decided to work as an opposition in the House of Representatives and would not field either a presidential or vice presidential candidate. It also said that it would not enter into an alliance with any other party.
Hamzah had earlier been courted by incumbent president Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). Megawati finally settled on Tuesday on Hasyim Muzadi, the chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama, as her vice presidential running mate.
Seven major parties, including the PPP, are eligible to compete in the July 5 presidential election by virtue of their shares of the vote in the April 5 legislative election. A party has to win 3 percent of the total seats in the House or 5 percent of the popular vote for the House to take part in the election. Parties failing to pass the threshold, however, are allowed to enter into coalitions.
Hamzah, however, still held open the possibility of the PPP entering into a coalition with the Golkar Party, which has nominated Gen. (ret) Wiranto as its presidential candidate.
"All the possibilities are still open ... just wait until tomorrow," he was quoted by Detik.com as saying.
It is understood that Wiranto is also considering selecting Solahuddin Wahid, an NU leader and deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, as his vice presidential candidate.
The meeting was also attended by PBR chairman Zainuddin MZ, PKS chairman Hidayat Nurwahid and PBB deputy chairman Ahmad Sumargono.
It is unclear whether a coalition of Islamic-oriented parties will actually be able to agree on common presidential and vice presidential candidates, given that the PBB and PBR are reportedly also supporting Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla, the presidential and vice presidential candidates from the Democratic Party.