Political coalition

Political coalition

The meeting between former president Abdurrahman Wahid and
National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais in Jakarta on
Wednesday was a political surprise. It was their first public
meeting since Abdurrahman, known as Gus Dur, was impeached during
a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly in 2001.
The two are known as political foes.

Earlier in Surabaya, East Java, Gus Dur met with Golkar Party
chairman Akbar Tandjung and Amien Rais' aide, Fuad Bawazier. The
Surabaya meeting was said to have been held to establish a kind
of coalition to support practical interests in East Java.

What is meant by coalition and practical interests is that the
three parties came together to back Abdul Kahfi and Ridwan Hisjam
as governor and deputy governor of the province.

Politics is a dynamic process, which always makes it
interesting to follow the results of coalitions and political
meetings.

The instant lesson we can draw from the recent political
happenings -- relating to the East Java gubernatorial election --
is that the coalition of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and
Golkar did not work. Their candidates, Abdul Kahfi and Ridwan
Hisjam, only got 34 votes. The candidates of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the Alliance
faction, Imam Utomo and Soenarjo, were elected with 63 votes.

All of these things really show that things can change.
Political coalitions and alliances are dynamic, and all we can do
is continue to remind parties that the nation's interests must
receive proper attention.

-- Kompas, Jakarta