PDI Perjuangan moves to seek NU support

PDI Perjuangan moves to seek NU support

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang

After an informal meeting to boost ties with the Golkar Party,
key PDI Perjuangan figure Taufik Kiemas -- the President's
husband -- is visiting East Java to meet the leaders of Nahdlatul
Ulama, the country's largest Muslim association.

PDI Perjuangan deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo
said during his two-day Ramadhan safari in East Java that Taufik
would meet NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi at his boarding school in
Malang and a number of other NU clerics at the Darul Ulum Islamic
boarding school in Jombang.

Pramono said the East Java tour was part of his party's
strategy to pave the way for President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
victory in the direct presidential election next year.

"He (Taufik) will also meet leaders of other political parties
to promote PDI Perjuangan's vision that puts national interests
above all else to back presidential candidate Megawati," Pramono
said.

The move by Taufik, also a businessman and legislator from the
party, came two days after the National Mandate Party (PAN)
chairman Amien Rais and his entourage met the highly respected NU
cleric Abdullah Faqih at his boarding school in Tuban and several
other East Java towns regarded as NU strongholds.

Taufik led a PDI Perjuangan delegation to meet Golkar chairman
Akbar Tandjung and the party's leaders on Monday to build
"amicable relations" between the two parties, which deteriorated
following clashes involving their supporters in Bali last month.

"PDI Perjuangan will work together with Golkar and some
Islamic parties to make the presidential election a success. But
we will compete in a fair manner in the election of legislative
members.

"We will try not to disturb or defame each other and make sure
that there will be no conflict involving our grassroots
supporters," Pramono said.

Separately, another PDI Perjuangan executive, Tjahjo Kumolo,
said in Jakarta that the visit of Taufik was aimed at listening
to the NU community's aspirations on the possibility of naming
Hasyim as Megawati's vice-presidential running mate.

"We will report everything to 'Mom' Mega, because she will be
the one who makes the final decision on her running mate,"
Tjahjo, who chairs the party's faction at the House of
Representatives, said as quoted by Antara.

East Java is the stronghold of both PDI Perjuangan and NU-
affiliated party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), a fact that
would be taken into consideration in selecting its legislative
candidates, according to the faction chief.

"We may select a lot of NU clerics as our legislative
candidates," Tjahjo said.

Pramono said PDI Perjuangan hoped to win 48 percent of the
vote in the 2004 general election, up from 34 percent in the 1999
polls.

He said the party had nominated economists like Sri Mulyani
Indrawati and Marie Pangestu, as well as actors Desy Ratnasari,
Marissa Haque, Dedy Sutomo and singers Franky Sahilatua and Evi
Tamala.