PDI-P scouts for election partner

PDI-P scouts for election partner

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
country's largest political party, plans to join forces with
other parties to ensure it maintains control of the country's top
post during next year's landmark direct presidential election.

Keeping all its options open by not specifying which parties
it was considering, PDI Perjuangan said it might forge alliances
with more than one party to secure the presidency.

PDI Perjuangan's Jacob Tobing said on Friday no agreement had
been reached on who would team up with the party's presidential
candidate, Megawati Soekarnoputri, the incumbent President.

Party leaders concluded a three-day meeting on Thursday during
which they calculated their chances in the 2004 direct
presidential election. The meeting, which followed up the party's
national meeting last month, set the criteria for any parties PDI
Perjuangan might form an alliance with. Among the requirements
are similar ideologies and a commitment to pluralism.

"On top of all the criteria, any coalition must not jeopardize
the unity of party constituents," Jacob told The Jakarta Post.

He said the party leadership was considering possible
alliances because PDI Perjuangan's stronghold was Java island,
which on its own would not give the party the strength to win the
presidency.

The amended Constitution stipulates that to be elected
president a candidate requires a simple majority of the vote from
at least half of the country's provinces.

"That is why we have to concentrate on garnering support
outside of Java," Jacob said.

The presidential election bill now being deliberated at the
House of Representatives says any coalition must be announced
before the election.

Jacob's remarks confirmed recent speculation that PDI
Perjuangan was eying Muslim-based parties such as the United
Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB),
or the Golkar Party as partners for the 2004 presidential
election.

However, each of these parties comes with drawbacks, which
might be why PDI Perjuangan, which won 35 percent of the vote in
the 1999 general election, has still not made an announcement.

The Golkar Party, despite meeting all of the criteria set by
PDI Perjuangan, carries the ghosts of the New Order regime, which
PDI Perjuangan clashed with before the reform movement forced
long-time ruler and Golkar chief patron Soeharto to step down in
1998.

One PDI Perjuangan official, who asked to remain anonymous,
said many of the party's constituents remained skeptical of
Golkar's commitment to reform.

PPP, which is led by Vice President Hamzah Haz, could be an
ideal partner for PDI Perjuangan given its stronghold in
Kalimantan. However, its Islamic ideology could spoil that
partnership.

The PKB was a useful partner for PDI Perjuangan in the last
elections, but with that party winning a relatively small
percentage of the vote in 1999 and given the bitterness between
the two since the ouster of Abdurrahman Wahid from the presidency
in 2001, any future alliances are questionable.

Abdurrahman, who is PKB's chief patron, was replaced by
Megawati.

PDI Perjuangan treasurer Noviantika Nasution said that during
the recent meeting, party leaders also discussed the selection of
legislative candidates for the 2004 elections.

"Our members from all branches across the country must be
ready for the direct election," she said.