PPP may support Habibie, says chairman Hamzah

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)