PDI-P, PAN and PKB urged to coalesce

PDI-P, PAN and PKB urged to coalesce

JAKARTA (JP): Noted Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid
called on the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P),
the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party
(PKB) to form a coalition government to push for reform.

PDI-P, PAN and PKB, along with Golkar Party and the United
Development Party (PPP), are expected to garner the most votes in
the elections.

"The other two (Golkar and PPP) should become opposition
parties," he said while discussing preliminary poll results with
PAN secretary-general Faisal Basri, Elections Supervisory
Committee deputy chief Todung Mulya Lubis and the governor of the
National Resilience Institute, Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar.

Nurcholish, also known as Cak Nur, said it was too early to
predict which party would win the elections given the large
number of ballots yet to reach the General Elections Commission.

Nurcholish, however, said Golkar and PPP were not expected to
win the elections and should not be included in the coalition
government because of their failure to uphold the will of the
people in the past.

"Golkar has been fiercely criticized for its failure to
channel the people's aspirations during the repressive 32-year
New Order regime. It was the means to maintain the status quo,
while PPP has been halfhearted about pushing for total reform,"
he said.

He said Golkar might have retained some support had it
followed the military's lead and repositioned itself.

"After president Soeharto resigned, Golkar failed to reform
itself... It should have disbanded and reappeared under another
name while retaining its networks. But that did not occur," he
said.

Nurcholish, who is the rector of Paramadina Mulya University
in Jakarta, said that by 2000, Indonesia should be accustomed to
the opposition system which was essential to democracy.

No problem

Faisal said his party would have no difficulty coalescing with
PDI-P and PKB because there were no substantial differences in
their political platforms and objectives.

"We have no problem with Cak Nur's suggestion, but all this
will depend on the elections' final outcome. PAN is ready to form
a coalition with the two parties (PDI-P and PKB) but not with
Golkar," he said.

He also warned major political parties of possible political
maneuvering by the military during the presidential election
because of the probability no party would control a majority in
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which elects the
president.

"If the five main parties each gain between 10 and 30 percent
of the vote, the military, which has 38 seats in the House of
Representatives, will still play an important role in the
presidential election," he said.

Faisal also said the mechanisms used to appoint the 27
regional representatives and 35 professional representatives in
the People's Consultative Assembly remained unclear.

He said B.J. Habibie could win the presidential election if
the regional and professional representatives and the 38 military
representatives joined forces with Golkar.

He said the regional and professional representatives should
be appointed from groups which were not represented by existing
political parties.

Todung proposed the military remain neutral in the
presidential election and not put forward its own presidential
candidate.

"But I'm sure that the military will use its political rights
in the presidential election," he said.

Agum, meanwhile, deplored continued attacks on Golkar and the
New Order regime.

"I know the two have made many mistakes but they have also
have done many good things," he said. (rms)