Mega wants coalition partner for 1st round knockout victory

Mega wants coalition partner for 1st round knockout victory

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)
Megawati Soekarnoputri dropped a very clear hint on Thursday of
her intention to get ever more chummy with Golkar Party leader
Akbar Tandjung, as her running mate, in the presidential
election.

Megawati's aide Pramono Anung Wibowo said the she was eying a
quick finish of the election and therefore she would need a
running mate who could ensure a landslide win and thus no runoff
election.

"Ibu is still contemplating her possible running mate, but she
said she would like to secure the presidency in the first round
of election," Pramono said after a weekly party meeting led by
Megawati.

He added that Megawati would only take on a running mate who
could satisfy the wishes of her constituents.

The landmark direct presidential election will take place on
July 5, but only parties that get 3 percent of the total number
of votes in the April 5 legislative election are eligible to
nominate candidates.

The runoff vote would be on Sept. 20 unless one candidate wins
over 50 percent in the first round.

Shortly after the Supreme Court overturned his corruption
conviction, Akbar fueled a discourse on his possibility to become
Megawati's running mate, much to the chagrin, however, of his
Golkar colleagues.

On Wednesday, Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas said Akbar,
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi and Vice President
Hamzah Haz, who chairs the United Development Party (PPP), also
could fit the criteria for Megawati's running mate.

Pramono admitted those names were on Megawati's list of
potential running mates, but she was waiting for more input and
opinions from the party members.

In the 1999 election, Golkar finished second after PDI-P, with
PPP third. Hasyim, meanwhile, leads an organization that claims
40 million of supporters, which is nominally affiliated with the
National Awakening Party (PKP), which finished fourth in the 1999
election.

Some PDI-P leaders have stated that Hasyim was the right
person to help Megawati retain her presidency.

Pramono said, however, that Megawati had asked her party to
concentrate more on the legislative election, slated for April 5,
before further discussions on the possible coalition for the
presidential election.

"We can only make a coalition after we know the results of the
legislative election," he said.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) said it would be able
to announce the final results of the legislative election by the
end of April and name all eligible presidential candidates on May
19.