PDI-P mulls coalition with Golkar

PDI-P mulls coalition with Golkar

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite mounting criticism against Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) forging a coalition with Golkar, PDI
Perjuangan leader Taufik Kiemas said on Friday that the ruling
party was ready to join forces with the political vehicle of
former dictator Soeharto.

Taufik, who is also the husband of PDI Perjuangan chairwoman
Megawati Soekarnoputri, said that Golkar had listed the best
people to be presidential candidates in the 2004 election.

"They (Golkar leaders) named the best people. If I were a
presidential candidate, I would be more than willing to run as
their running mate," said Taufik, who is the most influential PDI
Perjuangan leader.

Asked if PDI Perjuangan was ready to form a coalition with
Golkar, Taufik said: "The most important thing is we share a
common nationalist platform with the party (Golkar)."

Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid, Coordinating Minister
for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla are just
some of Golkar's presidential hopefuls in the upcoming elections.

It was not immediately clear if Taufik was voicing the view of
the majority in the party as some party leaders had stated during
their national meeting in March that the party should form a
coalition with a Muslim-based party.

Presidential candidates from big parties are counting on their
running mates to win the 2004 election, when the country is
holding its first ever direct presidential election.

Over 200 political parties have registered with the Ministry
of Justice and Human Rights to contest the election, making it
necessary for them to form a coalition to win more than 50
percent of the vote required to form a government.

On Thursday, the New Order Alert Committee (KWOB) and the
Petition 50 expressed strong opposition to a coalition between
PDI Perjuangan and Golkar, whose chairman Akbar Tandjung had been
convicted of graft and sentenced to three years in jail. He is
free pending his appeal.

Taufik contended that sharing the same nationalist platform
and pluralism were the main conditions for PDI Perjuangan to form
a coalition with other parties.

However, the final decision of the party's running mate will
rest with Megawati, the President, who has been entrusted to
choose her own running partner in the upcoming election.

Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung said on Friday that his party
was ready to form a coalition with any parties that share a
common nationalist platform, including PDI Perjuangan.

He said so far there had yet to be an official discussion
regarding that possibility and that it would be further discussed
after the legislative election in April 2004.

"Should we have a significant vote in the elections we will
find a running mate for our candidates in the presidential
election," Akbar told Antara.

Golkar is slated to hold a national conference in October to
discuss the issue and will finalize the list of names in
February.

Jusuf Kalla, who is also a senior member of Golkar, said on
Friday that he was ready to be Megawati's running mate in the
elections as long as it was in line with Golkar's decision.

Meanwhile, Vice President Hamzah Haz said that it would be
better to have many presidential candidates to enliven the
democratic election.

"The naming of several presidential candidates opens up the
possibility for many capable persons to come forward and lead the
country," he said after Friday prayers.