Politicians busy mobilizing forces

Politicians busy mobilizing forces

From Rakyat Merdeka

Whatever you call it, a meeting of politicians is one intended to mobilize forces to win the general election in 2004.

This, of course, refers to a meeting of representatives of Islamic political parties held at the initiative of Amien Rais, Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Nurhidayat of the Justice Party. Or a meeting held by Arifin Panigoro, or still a meeting between Taufik Kiemas and former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

There is nothing wrong with such meetings. Everybody knows that all political parties are now getting ready for the 2004 general election. Remember, politics means tactics.

In this context, Taufik Kiemas did the right thing in approaching Gus Dur. On paper, his party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), will win the same percentage of votes as last election (33 percent). Gus Dur's party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), is also expected to collect 17 percent of all votes, the same percentage as in the previous elections.

So a coalition between PDI Perjuangan and PKB could collect 50 percent of all the votes. If the new law on general elections comes into effect before the 2004 elections, military and police personnel will have the right to vote, and in this case PDI Perjuangan may get an additional 2 percent of the vote.

In all, a coalition between PDI Perjuangan and PKB could collect 52 percent of the vote. This would mean that without even partnering with Golkar, PDI Perjuangan could control a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and foil the emergence of the Central Axis II.

It is hoped, therefore, that a Central Axis II will never come into being, because the new members of the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly from the 2004 elections will be immune to New Order viruses and political orchestration.

E. SUHERMAN

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