PKB says it will 'stay neutral' in runoff
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.