PAN to expand alliance with Islamic parties

JAKARTA (JP): The National Mandate Party (PAN) is seeking to expand its alliance with other Islamic parties in order to win more votes and block conservative groups, deputy chairman A.M. Fatwa said here on Saturday.

Fatwa made clear the intention of PAN -- which is not an Islamic party -- to ally itself with as many Islamic parties as possible in an address to a campaign gathering in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

"The (PAN, PK and PPP) cooperation is valid only for the campaigning period, it is meant to block status quo camps which try to perpetuate the New Order," Fatwa said.

Separately, on the Tanah Merah field in Bendungan Hilir, West Jakarta, Justice Party (PK) chairman Nur Mahmudi Ismail expounded the wish to expand the alliance to include other Islamic parties.

Nur Mahmudi said PK has approached the Islamic People's Party (PUI) and the Masyumi Party while PPP will approach the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the People's Awakening Party (PKU) and the Nahdlatul Ummat Party (PNU).

The parties aim to sign a joint communique at least one week before the June 7 general election, he said. The parties will then combine their extra votes to enable them to get more representatives in the legislative bodies.

The same sentiment was expressed by Justice Party secretary- general Anis Matta in his campaign speech in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi.

On Friday, Amien Rais signed a joint communique with PPP and PK to fight pro-status quo forces. This was a surprise move on the part of Amien, as only on Tuesday he signed a high-profile cooperation agreement with leader of National Awakening Party (PKB) Abdurrahman Wahid and chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Amien's maneuvering irked PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil, who said he planned to review the agreement signed on Tuesday.

"The trouble with Amien is he wants to be president so much," he was quoted by Antara as saying. "Unless he reins in his ambition, reform will be disrupted."

Amien and Abdurrahman have both openly aspired for the presidency. Neither was willing to take second place.

Meanwhile, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, the chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), said in Jakarta his party did not have any intention to ally itself with other parties. Instead, it will become an opposition group if it fails to win the elections, he said as quoted by Antara.

"A coalition should be clear. If a party forms a coalition with different parties in different times, we call it hypocrisy," Yusril told thousands of PBB cadres and supporters during a campaign in Cakung, East Jakarta.

He said it would thus be better for PBB to be an opposition party if it could not get the people's mandate to lead the country.

He claimed his party also rejects the status quo, including the old -- those from the New Order government -- and the new politicians, meaning those who only want a change in leadership but not in the system.

Yusril said that the party's intentions to amend the constitution and limit the presidential term of office are proof of this rejection of the status quo. "If I become the next president, the first step I will take is to limit the presidential term," Yusril said.

In Malang, East Java, Amien Rais said the two communiques he signed with other parties did not yet represent a real coalition or sharing of power.

"There's no contradiction in the agreements," he said. "It is just the five major parties wish to see a safe and conflict-free general election. We also want to block the status quo forces."

"We'll talk about coalitions later. The five of us can merge, as long as it is not with Golkar," he said.

PAN secretary-general Faisal Basri separately agreed with Amien in Medan, North Sumatra, while in Yogyakarta, PPP leader Husni Thamrien reiterated his party's rejection of Golkar.

The agreement between Amien, Abdurrahman and Megawati was thought by some to be behind the increasingly friendly atmosphere among parties in some regions. In Blora, East Java, for instance, PAN campaigning was secured by PDI Perjuangan and PKB volunteers.

"Their togetherness is being emulated by people at the grassroots," Blora PAN chief Zamura was quoted by Antara as saying.

In Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, however, some 100 PPP supporters lashed out at Hamzah Haz for signing the agreement.

"Tell Hamzah, we don't want alliances with other parties," one protester shouted. (23/27/39/40/44/nur/swe)