PPP declare backing for Mega in runoff
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya
The Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) decided on Saturday to throw its support behind President Megawati Soekarnoputri and running mate Hasyim Muzadi in the Sept. 20 runoff.
"We support the pair, because we believe we can continue to develop our established cooperation in the future," PPP deputy leader Ali Marwan Hanan said after an executive meeting at the official residence of Vice President Hamzah Haz, who is also the party's leader.
Megawati, who replaced former president and PPP co-founder Abdurrahman Wahid after his impeachment, had ordered lawmakers of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) -- which she leads -- to support Hamzah's vice presidential nomination by the People's Consultative Assembly in the 2001 election.
Ali said the PPP deemed the administration under Megawati and Hamzah had succeeded in maintaining security and political stability, as well improving the country's economy.
He said the party would disseminate its decision among its grass roots members.
The July presidential polls, however, clearly showed that political parties could not determine their supporters' votes.
The PPP won 9.24 million votes in the April 5 legislative election to finish third behind the Golkar Party and Megawati's PDI-P. The party's lackluster effort in the July 5 election, however, earned Hamzah and running mate Agum Gumelar only three million votes.
The PPP's official announcement of support is the first by a political party that contested the July polls amid lobbying by Megawati and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to form a major coalition ahead of the September runoff.
The Megawati-Hasyim pair and contenders Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla will be facing off in September after they finished second and first, respectively, in the July election. Susilo-Kalla garnered 33.57 percent of 118.6 million valid votes, while Megawati-Hasyim won 26.6 percent.
Asked about the party's previous opposition to a female president, Ali replied: "It's no longer relevant ... to gauge political leadership on gender."
Hamzah said the party's decision was also based on its ties to Hasyim, chairman of Indonesia's largest organization Nahdlatl Ulama (NU) and a former chair of a provincial PPP chapter.
"It is now Megawati and me, and hopefully, it will be Megawati and Hasyim next. It is the same (thing). It's like we are entrusting our political machine to Hasyim," he said.
As a consequence of the party's executive decision, Hamzah said the party would join forces with the PDI-P to form an opposition group if Megawati lost to Susilo.
Although no official announcement has been made, Golkar also appears to be moving closer to Megawati, who visited Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung at his official residence on Friday, the third meeting since the July polls.
On Saturday, Megawati and Susilo traveled to Surabaya to continue their rallying of public support ahead of the September showdown.
Meanwhile, Megawati made an unscheduled visit to influential NU cleric Abdullah Fakih, who is being treated at state-owned Dr. Soetomo Hospital. Abdullah was among the NU clerics who had called upon their followers to vote against "a woman candidate" in the July election.
As part of her Surabaya trip, Megawati had lunch with about 300 underprivileged children, attended a mass prayer in Kenongo village, visited a Muslim boarding school in Sidoarjo regency and met with editors of the Jawa Pos daily.
Meanwhile, Susilo and Kalla presided over a meeting of their campaign teams overseeing Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara.
Earlier in the day, Kalla visited several Muslim boarding schools in three regencies on Madura island, including Natwatul Ishaqiyah school in Sampang regency. During his visit, Kalla asked for support from NU members of the island.
"I ask for your blessing and support in the upcoming election. I am an NU member who has the experience to lead the country," said Kalla, who is an advisor in the organization.