PAN to expand alliance with Islamic parties

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)