PKB says it will 'stay neutral' in runoff
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya
One day before its two-day national meeting, the National Awakening Party (PKB) pledged on Monday to stay neutral in the Sept. 20 election runoff.
PKB deputy chairman M. Mahfud MD said that his party would not enter into a coalition with either of the two tickets.
"We have exchanged views with party members at the provincial and regental levels and learned that the majority of our supporters back Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his running mate Jusuf Kalla. But, we at the central board level are not of the same view.
"Therefore, we have decided to stay neutral and will allow our party executives to join either of the campaign teams," Mahfud said.
Susilo and Kalla are set to square off against President Megawati Soekarnoputri and her running mate, Hasyim Muzadi, on Sept. 20.
Four major parties -- the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) -- have formed what they term the Nationhood Coalition to support Megawati and Hasyim. Meanwhile, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Indonesian Peace and Unity Party (PKPI) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB) have decided to support the Susilo-Kalla ticket.
However, the PKB's chief patron, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, said over the weekend that he personally supported the Susilo- Kalla ticket.
Gus Dur had also decided to allow his daughter, Zanuba "Yeni" Arifah Chafsoh Rahman, to join the pair in public appearances ahead of the election.
Mahfud admitted that Gus Dur's endorsement of the Susilo-Kalla camp would have an influence at the grassroots level, considering that Gus Dur is the most influential cleric in the NU, which has around 40 million members.
The PKB, which was set up by the NU, will announce its official stance after a two-day national meeting that starts on Tuesday.
Separately, PKB legislators Ali Masykur Musa and Effendi Choirie said that it would be wise for the party not to support either candidate in the September runoff.
They suggested that the PKB allow its members to vote according to their consciences.
Ali acknowledged that some PKB leaders personally supported Susilo, while others backed Megawati.
Meanwhile, Effendi expressed the hope that the PKB's national meeting would not lead to the party throwing its weight behind either of the candidates, saying that "building up an opposition would be much more honorable than seeking positions from Susilo or Megawati."
Meanwhile in the East Java capital of Surabaya, hundreds of Golkar members staged a rally in front of the party's provincial offices, demanding that Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung withdraw from the Nationhood Coalition.
They also threatened to go over to the Susilo-Kalla camp if Akbar failed to withdraw from the coalition.
"We reject the party central board's decision to join the Nationhood Coalition as this was based solely on the desire for power, rather than the interests of the people.
"If Pak Akbar insists on keeping the party in the coalition, we are going to resign from the party and get our members out to vote for Susilo and Kalla," a rally organizer Moch. Soedjatmiko.