PPP may support Habibie, says chairman Hamzah
JAKARTA (JP): United Development Party (PPP) chairman Hamzah Haz said on Thursday his party may decide to back the ruling Golkar Party's choice for president B.J. Habibie.
The revelation was an about face from Hamzah who said only hours earlier the party was considering an alliance with the National Mandate Party (PAN) led by Amien Rais.
Hamzah was quoted by Bloomberg as saying in a campaigning rally in Bekasi on Thursday: "About this decision who we want to support (for president), we'll decide after we talk to some more religious leaders, after the election."
The PPP is facing pressure to choose between two camps: the parties of status quo aligned with Golkar, or the so-called reform parties led by Megawati Soekarnoputri, Amien and Abdurrahman Wahid.
Branches of some of the less-high profile political parties revealed their lists of presidential candidates yesterday, with several of the branches throwing their support behind figures from outside their organizations.
Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairwoman and presidential candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) turned out to be a popular potential presidential candidate for non-Muslim parties. She topped the candidate lists of branches of the National Labor Party (PBN) and the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB).
Megawati received the support from the PBN chapter in Irian Jaya and the PDKB chapter in Central Sulawesi.
The PBN branch listed Megawati as its presidential candidate and party chairman Tohap Simanungkalit and former transmigration minister Siswono Yudohusodo as vice presidential candidates.
"We nominated them because we are impressed by their personal capabilities," PBN Irian Jaya chapter chairman Yusak Samuel Wonatorey was quoted by Antara as saying in the provincial capital of Jayapura.
PBN was founded by activists from the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union led by Muchtar Pakpahan.
The Central Sulawesi chapter of PDKB put Megawati at the top of its list of six presidential candidates.
The other five candidates are party executive Astrid Soenaryo, Yogyakarta monarch Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Abdurrahman Wahid, General Elections Commission chairman Rudini and PDKB chairman Manase Malo.
Abdurrahman also has been nominated by the National Awakening Party, which he founded, while Rudini is the MKGR Party's presidential candidate.
Over the past year, various parties have come out with their lists of presidential candidates. Among the presidential hopefuls are incumbent President Habibie of Golkar Party, Sri Bintang Pamungkas of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI), Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Budiman Sudjatmiko of the Democratic People's Party (PRD), Yusril Ihza Mahendra of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and Didin Hafiddhudin of the Justice Party.
Support for Habibie, who hails from South Sulawesi, also came Thursday from the Central Sulawesi chapter of the Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU).
The branch also named party chairman Yusuf Hasyim -- an uncle and political rival of Abdurrahman Wahid -- and the 71-year-old former military chief Gen. (ret) M. Yusuf as possible presidential candidates.
In Palu on Tuesday, the Republican Party's (PR) local chapter offered two alternative presidential and vice presidential candidates.
In the chapter's first alternative, chairman Sarifuddin Harahap was named as the presidential candidate and Indonesian Military Chief for Territorial Affairs Lt. Gen. Bambang Yudhoyono was the vice presidential candidate.
In the second alternative, the party nominated Habibie and Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Wiranto as president and vice president, respectively.
In Yogyakarta on Wednesday, the local chapter of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) floated three alternative presidential and vice presidential packages. This first alternative would entail one president and four vice presidents, though the party offered no suggestions as to who would fill these positions. Alternative two has former vice president Try Sutrisno as president and Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X serving the position of vice president. The chapter's third alternative listed Sri Sultan as president and Bambang Yudhoyono as vice president. (aan)