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.