Running mates take to runoff stage
Running mates take to runoff stage
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Presidential candidates Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and incumbent
Megawati Soekarnoputri took a break from electoral activities on
Saturday, allowing their running mates to maintain the momentum.
Hasyim Muzadi represented Megawati at an internal function in
Jakarta, while front-runner Susilo's running mate Jusuf Kalla
visited traveled to Bandung and met with the leader of the Golkar
Party's West Java chapter.
In the absence of Megawati, who is observing a minor haj to
Mecca, Hasyim inaugurated the Mega-Hasyim Center on Jl. Patra
Jasa, South Jakarta.
In a media conference following the ceremony, Hasyim, the non-
active chairman of leading Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama,
acknowledged that the campaign team was approaching a number of
figures to discuss their prospective Cabinet.
"It's normal. We are still in the process of approaching
people, and have not made any decisions," said Hasyim.
Separately, Taufik Kiemas, husband to Megawati and an
influential member in the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle, has said Megawati's next Cabinet should be filled by
the likes of economist Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Muslim academic
Azyumardi Azra.
Megawati has met with a host of political leaders, including
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung, National Awakening Party (PKB)
co-founder Abdurrahman Wahid and United Development Party (PPP)
chairman Hamzah Haz.
She is also set to visit National Awakening Party (PAN) leader
Amien Rais as part of her plan to build a coalition ahead of the
runoff.
Hasyim said a coalition of major parties was necessary for an
effective government.
"The next government will be able to implement its programs
effectively in cooperation with the political elite in the House
of Representatives," he said.
Meanwhile, Susilo and Kalla, who won the first round in July,
have recently increased their efforts in lobbying political
leaders.
Kalla met on Saturday with Golkar West Java leader Nurochman
at his residence on Jl. Sentrasari, Bandung.
"It was a meeting between friends. We were once members of the
People's Consultative Assembly," Kalla told reporters after
breakfasting with Nurochman.
Nurochman denied the meeting was part of a strategy for the
pair to woo Golkar support. Kalla is also a Golkar executive.
The meeting followed a Friday-evening trip to the South
Sulawesi capital of Makassar, where Susilo and Kalla met with the
local Chinese community and promised to fight against
discrimination if elected.
Separately, Amien Rais said his party remained undecided about
which pair to support in the runoff.
He said PAN had considered several options, including
abstention, supporting a single candidate or letting their
members vote according to their conscience.
"We are still discussing the options. I'm not going to take an
authoritarian approach, and will let the party make a decision,"
Amien said in Bandung, while confirming that he would meet
Megawati after her return from Mecca.