Megawati-Kalla suggested as pairing
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
As the election draws near, talks are loomi ng on a possible pairing between the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI- P) chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri and senior Golkar Party member Jusuf Kalla in the coming presidential election.
Influential PDI-P member Taufik Kiemas dropped a hint on Sunday on the likely partnership, dubbed the most ideal by many. The duo of Megawati and Kalla would represent both Java and the islands outside Java.
"A coalition with Golkar doesn't mean (a coalition) with its chairman Akbar Tandjung. We will build up cooperation with the party's leaders, who also represent the NU," Taufik said, without mentioning any names.
Kalla, who is the coordinating minister for people's welfare, was raised in an NU environment. As a senior minister, Kalla has also had an excellent relationship with Megawati during her three-year term.
Separately, Kalla said during a rally in the South Kalimantan capital of Banjarmasin that he was only willing to contest the vice presidency.
"I am ready only to be the vice president as I am not Javanese and many polls say I would be a good vice president," he said as quoted by Antara.
Taufik, who is also Megawati's husband, has repeatedly mentioned a possible coalition between the two nationalist parties, which garnered 55 percent of the House of Representatives seats between them in 1999.
A partnership between Megawati and Akbar is seen as undesirable among a faction within the PDI-P, particularly due to Akbar's image as being part of the New Order.
PDI-P deputy chairman Roy B.B. Janis said on Sunday that the decision to form a coalition with Golkar would need the approval of PDI-P supporters.
"It will be impossible to form such a coalition, and I am almost certain that 99.9 percent of PDI-P supporters will reject such a coalition (with Akbar)," Roy said.
Akbar is facing a fresh law suit filed by a self-confessed middleman who claimed that Akbar had broken his promise to pay him Rp 1 billion for information on a Rp 40 billion graft case against Akbar in 2002.