Support for presidential aspirants

Support for presidential aspirants

Some political parties and members of Indonesia's political elite have declared their support for one of the two presidential candidates vying in the second round of the country's presidential election on Sept. 20. This has made the Indonesian political map clear.

We have seen parties, normally critical of one another, coalesce into groups. The Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), for example, declared conditional support for the Democrat Party's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last Friday.

Susilo's rival, President Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), has gained the support of the Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP), the Golkar Party and the Christian-orientated Peace and Prosperity Party (PDS).

Former presidential candidates Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN), and Wiranto of Golkar, however, have not shown any interest in joining the coalitions.

The forming of coalitions is natural in this era of reform, although there is no guarantee that the supporters of the political parties involved will follow their parties' decisions.

Unfortunately, certain groups of people have said they will abstain from voting in the runoff due to their disappointment over the failure of their own candidates to advance to the second round.

We are all looking forward to the runoff. We all want to know who wins the country's first direct election. We have high hopes that the next president will be able to transform the country and achieve progress as regards improved public welfare. -- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta