PAN states terms on PDI-P coalition

PAN states terms on PDI-P coalition

JAKARTA (JP): National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais
said on Saturday his party was prepared to form a coalition with
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
which is leading the polls, but only if it agreed to four
conditions.

"PAN is ready to make a coalition with PDI Perjuangan provided
the latter is committed to amending the 1945 Constitution,
phasing out the Indonesian Military's dual function, trying
former president Soeharto and giving large autonomy to provinces
and regencies," he said in a meeting with reporters at the
Muhammadiyah Muslim organization's compound in Central Jakarta.

Analysts say urgently needed changes to the 1945 Constitution
include a definitive limit on the presidential term in office.
The Constitution states a president is elected once in five
years, which can be extended for "another" term. The ambiguity is
credited with allowing Soeharto to remain in power for 32 years.

Amien, known as an outspoken critic of Soeharto's New Order
regime, said there were no substantial ideological differences
between PAN and PDI Perjuangan as both were committed to reform.

"The two parties actually have many similarities both in
ideology and political platforms, and there will be no big
problem for the two parties to form a coalition government if
they win the elections," he said.

PAN is now trailing in fourth place in national results and
only leads in West Sumatra.

PDI Perjuangan has never stated any commitment on the four
subjects outlined by Amien, but has vowed to uphold a unitary
state.

PDI Perjuangan's deputy chairman Dimyati Hartono said on
Saturday in Purwokerto, Central Java, that his party would only
announce its official stance on a coalition after it received the
complete results from the polls.

The professor of law said his party was against federalism.
Amien earlier raised the idea but dropped it following an outcry
prompted by fears of national disintegration.

Amien, PDI Perjuangan leader Megawati Soekarnoputri and
Abdurrahman Wahid, one of the founders of the National Awakening
Party (PKB), forged a joint communique to enhance cooperation and
to prevent incumbent President B.J. Habibie, considered by many a
vestige of the New Order, from staying in power.

Amien also said Saturday that his party rejected the
possibility of a coalition with the ruling Golkar Party, which
has named Habibie as its presidential candidate. In a seeming
contradiction, however, he added that PAN might form a coalition
with Golkar "minus Habibie", but only if Golkar could prove it no
longer retained links to the New Order.

Amien has frequently criticized Habibie and his government for
foot-dragging in the investigation of alleged corruption and
abuses of power by Soeharto.

Meanwhile, Golkar deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman said on
Saturday that it would be difficult for his party to form a
coalition with PDI Perjuangan because it was its "closest rival
in the group of five big parties expected to gain a major victory
in the elections"

"In the 'Big Five', the United Development Party (PPP) is the
only party with which Golkar will likely make a coalition. There
also are possibilities for us to make a coalition with the
National Awakening Party (PKB) and PAN, and this will need
further talks after the complete results of the elections are
announced," he said at the vote tabulation center at Hotel
Aryaduta Jakarta.

Marzuki predicted his party would come second in the polls,
beating PKB, which is second in provisional results but has weak
support outside Java.

Since Friday Golkar has refused to share results of its
internal counting with the public.

Separately, Nasir Tamara, a member of PPP's board of experts,
said that it would be impossible for his party to enter into a
coalition with PDI Perjuangan given their different ideologies.

"PPP will seek possibilities to form a coalition with Golkar
and other Muslim parties," he said at a party gathering on
Saturday. PDI Perjuangan has been criticized for fielding many
non-Muslim candidates in a predominantly Muslim country.

As of 7:50 p.m. on Saturday, 25,429,823 of 117 million votes
were tabulated, or roughly 25 percent. However, extenuating
factors likely to affect the count include the decision of the
provincial election committee to repeat the polls in North
Sumatra and the decision of the Jakarta committee to recount
million its ballots.

PDI Perjuangan gained 38.26 percent of the votes counted,
followed by the PKB (19.21 percent) and Golkar (16.21 percent).

Strife-torn provinces of Aceh, Maluku, Irian Jaya and East
Timor have yet to submit results.

In North Sulawesi, where the provincial election committee
decided on Saturday to repeat the polls, Golkar led with 60.50
percent of 143,759 votes, with PDI Perjuangan trailing far behind
with 10.54 percent.

In Jakarta, where the provincial election committee said on
Friday that all votes would be recounted, PDI Perjuangan led with
39.43 percent of 2,039,704 votes followed by PPP (17.49 percent)
and PAN (16.25 percent).

A minor party recording significant results is the
Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB) in North Sumatra, which
took 13.81 percent of the 55,246 votes to rank third behind PDI
Perjuangan and Golkar. (rms/45/anr)