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