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)