PPP ready to join forces with PDI-P

PPP ready to join forces with PDI-P

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) revealed on Friday
its readiness to form a coalition with the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the upcoming presidential election.

PPP chairman Hamzah Haz, who is also the incumbent Vice
President, said his party was seeking a common stance on economic
development and education with the PDI-P as a condition for
joining forces.

"With only 8 percent of the vote, we cannot say anything. The
fact is, the PDI-P once supported us all the way to win the vice
presidential seat. It's all up to the PDI-P to decide whether the
coalition will materialize," Hamzah said at his official
residence.

Hamzah won the vice presidency at the expense of Akbar
Tandjung in the 2001 election by the People's Consultative
Assembly, succeeding Megawati Soekarnoputri in the post. Megawati
assumed power after the Assembly impeached then president
Abdurrahman Wahid for incompetence during a special session.

Megawati, in her capacity as PDI-P leader, ordered her party's
legislators to vote for Hamzah, who had openly opposed a female
president previously.

Megawati's choice of Hamzah was considered by many at the time
as an unlikely union between the nationalist-oriented and Muslim
parties; but it was deemed necessary, however, to woo Muslim
support for Megawati, whose presidential bid was foiled by an
alliance of Muslim parties in 1999 known as the Axis Force.

Ahead of the April 5 legislative election, PDI-P executives
held a meeting with Hamzah to offer cooperation.

PDI-P senior executive Roy BB Janis is one who supports the
idea of maintaining cooperation between the PDI-P and the PPP.

Megawati is to announce her running mate in early May, but has
made it clear that she needs a partner who represents Muslims.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country.

Aside from Hamzah, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Hasyim
Muzadi, Muhammadiyah leader Malik Fadjar and Golkar Party member
Jusuf Kalla -- also the Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare -- have been put forth as possible running mates. Jusuf
and Hamzah are both members of the NU.

The KPU will open registration for presidential and vice
presidential candidates from May 1 through May 7.

The PPP is ranked fourth with only around 8 percent of the
vote in the ongoing ballot count, which means it is in a
difficult position to contest the presidential election. The PDI-
P is ranked second with 19.7 percent of votes.

When asked whether the PDI-P could still expect support from
the PPP if it offered the vice presidential post to another
party, Hamzah hinted at a possible change of plan.

"I still represent the interests of other Muslim-based
political parties.

"Should the PDI-P decide to break the existing cooperation,
then maybe we also have to look to another direction," he said.