PKP seeks to join three major parties' alliance
PKP seeks to join three major parties' alliance
JAKARTA (JP): The Justice and Unity Party (PKP) -- many of
whose activists are Golkar's renegades -- is reportedly seeking
to join an alliance already established among the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the National
Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
"We are working on details of the stembus akoord (vote-sharing
deal)," PKP secretary-general Hayono Isman said Tuesday.
A credible source said a discussion between leaders of the
four parties was held on Sunday night at the residence of
Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of PDI Perjuangan.
The meeting was attended by PKB secretary-general Iskandar
Muhaimin, PKP chairman Edi Sudradjat as well as PKP patron
Sarwono Kusumaatmadja.
"We strongly urge Megawati to include PAN (National Mandate
Party) in the deal because we want us all to unite as an anti-
status quo group. PAN shares a similar platform with us," the
source said.
The source said Megawati was hesitant to include PAN because
the party -- led by Amien Rais -- had already signed a joint
communique with two Muslim-based parties, namely the Justice
Party (PK) and the United Development Party (PPP).
"Mbak Mega wants to think about it further. And hopefully we
can agree (about PAN inclusion in the stembus akoord) as long as
PAN is proven not to have joined any similar deal ... PPP and
Justice Party have had their own deal," he said.
PPP and Justice Party announced Sunday the stembus akoord deal
with six other Muslim-based parties.
PAN secretary-general Faisal Basri reiterated his party would
only make a deal with PDI Perjuangan, PKB and PKP.
"We'll just have to wait and see that the deal between eight
Muslim-based parties is really aimed to beat the status quo.
"To be honest, there are people who doubt the eight parties
would really be against status quo," Faisal said.
PAN and PKB were reportedly enraged because PDI Perjuangan
negotiator Theo Syafei has held separate covert meetings,
discussing the vote-sharing deal with five to ten small
nationalist-secular parties.
The move was considered a setback as PAN and PKB would like to
maintain their independence and avoid the sharpening differences
between the Muslim and Nationalist-secular camps.
"PAN and PKB are not Muslim-oriented parties. But, we are not
nationalist-secular parties, either," Faisal said.
A source at PKP said it is likely for the four big parties,
PDI Perjuangan, PAN, PKB and PKP, to hold the deal together.
"As for the other small parties, they can make separate
arrangements with PDI Perjuangan," he said.
"It is time to let go of our differences as we are running out
of time here and we have only until Thursday to decide," Hayono
said. (edt)