PKB distances itself from Megawati

PKB distances itself from Megawati

JAKARTA (JP): The People's Awakening Party (PKB) has asserted
that it does not support Megawati Soekarnoputri and will pick its
own candidate in next year's presidential election.

The party -- whose establishment in July was facilitated by
Abdurrahman Wahid, the chairman of Indonesia's largest Moslem
organization Nahdlatul Ulama and a close ally of Megawati -- also
said it was confident that it would win the general election.

Party chairman Matori Abdul Djalil acknowledged the growing
opinion that his party would form an alliance with Megawati's
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) after the general elections in
May. He also said some people believed the PKB would support
Megawati's bid for the presidency.

"I want to state here that the PKB will name its own
presidential candidate in due course," Matori said at a gathering
with journalists at the luxury Kartika Chandra hotel here on
Friday. He declined to mention any names.

He recalled how a person would be considered a hero if he
dared to nominate himself for the presidency during the rule of
former president Soeharto.

"Now, someone who nominated himself for the presidency would
be considered arrogant," he said, adding that the right time to
announce a presidential candidate would be after a party was sure
it had won in the election.

"Wouldn't you be embarrassed if you named a candidate only to
find out that you have not done well in the election," he said.

Three people have so far emerged as strong candidates for the
next presidency. They are Megawati from the PDI, Amien Rais of
the National Mandate Party (PAN) and State Minister of Food and
Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin, who is also an executive of the
United Development Party (PPP).

An American expert on Indonesia, R. William Liddle from Ohio
State University, has predicted that the PKB will finish among
the top five political parties in next May's election. Liddle,
speaking in August, said the other four would be the PDI under
Megawati, the Crescent Star Party (PBB), Golkar and PAN.

Matori said on Friday that his party had "looked to the
regions" to see if it could really meet Liddle's prediction.

"Apparently, we reckon we could win," he added.

Also on Friday, Matori and PKB executives Isa Muchsin and K.
Usman said the general election should be held on schedule at all
cost.

Matori said the PKB had noted statements made by a number of
governors and regents to the effect that people may not be ready
for an election next year given the depressed state of the
economy.

"Those (are) signs (that they) want to preserve the status
quo," he said.

He said President B.J. Habibie's government was purely
transitional in nature and must pave the way for a general
election as soon as possible.

Matori said his party believed that the People's Consultative
Assembly should convene to set up a new government as soon as the
election is over and the votes have been counted.

The current agenda sets the election for May and the MPR
assembly for late December. The new government is expected to be
formed in January 2000.

"Why such long a time? What if the government party does not
win in the election? ... Won't it just add to the uncertainty?"
Matori said.

On Friday, PKB also announced that it would gather its
chapters and branches from around the nation at the Senayan
indoor sports stadium on Oct. 18.

NU chairman Abdurrahman is expected to deliver a "brief
political message", Matori said. (aan)