Megawati likely to name Hamzah Haz as running mate

Megawati likely to name Hamzah Haz as running mate

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

A senior party official at the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P) dropped a hint on Sunday that party leader
Megawati Soekarnoputri would likely team up with Hamzah Haz, the
leader of the United Development Party (PPP), in the upcoming
presidential election.

PDI-P executive Roy B.B. Janis said that party officials had
approached vice president Hamzah, who had spoken of his readiness
to strengthen ties again with his boss, Megawati.

"Hamzah has been chosen from among other vice presidential
nominees because he is the leader of a large political party that
has a large number of supporters," Roy was quoted as saying by
Antara news agency.

According to the provisional vote count by the General
Elections Commission (KPU), the PPP is fourth after the Golkar
Party, the PDI-P and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

According to Roy, another figure eyed by Megawati as a
potential running mate was Agum Gumelar, a former Army general
and currently the minister of communications.

Roy's statement came only a day after another PDI-P official,
Pramono Anung Wibowo, announced that party officials had
successfully approached two "very well-known" figures with an
offer to team up with Megawati in the forthcoming presidential
and vice presidential election.

"The two figures have been contacted and they expressed
acceptance of the offer," PDI-P Deputy Secretary-General Pramono
said after a party leadership meeting.

He declined to disclose the names of the figures. "But I can
assure you the two figures are very well-known to the people, are
religious and are of good character," he said.

He said that the party would announce the name of its vice
presidential candidate before the start of the period for
registration of presidential and vice presidential candidates
with the KPU, due to start on May 1 and end on May 7.

PDI-P had previously eyed Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare Jusuf Kalla, a "clean" figure with close links to eastern
Indonesia.

However Megawati's hopes of teaming up with Kalla were dashed
after a rising star in the presidential race from the Democratic
Party, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, announced on Saturday that he
would pair up with Kalla for the upcoming presidential and vice
presidential election.

While Susilo and Megawati were close to determining their
choice of running mates, chairman of the National Mandate Party
(PAN) Amien Rais was apparently still confused as to who would be
his most suitable running mate.

As the deadline to submit the names of presidential and vice
presidential candidates to the KPU is drawing near, Amien held a
gathering on Sunday with intellectuals and students of various
universities in Yogyakarta. The event was aimed at seeking input
on whom was considered to be Amien's best running mate in the
presidential election.

Asked about who that would be, Amien said only that he had the
names of three candidates in his pocket and would be ready to
name one as his vice presidential running mate within
two days.