Susilo-Kalla begins search for coalition partner

Susilo-Kalla begins search for coalition partner

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla began their search for
coalition partners on Thursday, days after insisting that any
political alliance would be made after the presidential election
runoff.

Jusuf Kalla met with leader of the United Development Party
(PPP) Hamzah Haz at the latter's private residence in Tegalan,
Central Jakarta to look into the possibility of forming a
coalition for the Sept. 20 election.

Meanwhile, a planned meeting between presidential candidate
Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P) and leader of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
Amien Rais was called off on Thursday, after Amien decided to go
home to Yogyakarta.

"We will try to reschedule it," a source at the PDI-P told The
Jakarta Post.

After the one-hour meeting with Hamzah, Kalla said the pair
needed support, not just from the grass roots, but also from
political leaders at the House of Representatives.

"If we win the election, the PPP will surely be included in
the Cabinet," Kalla said.

The Susilo-Kalla ticket, which currently leads the provisional
tally of the July 5 election, had earlier said that a limited
coalition would be formed after the runoff, in which the pair is
likely to face incumbent Megawati and her running mate Hasyim
Muzadi.

Hamzah, who is also the incumbent vice president, said both
camps had invited his party to forge a coalition and that his
party's decision would be made after its national leadership
meeting on July 27.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) is scheduled to
announce the results of the July 5 election on July 26.

"Both candidates have offered the same thing to the PPP, but I
will remain neutral and let the party decide," Hamzah said.

Kalla said that both Susilo and himself were seeking as much
support as possible from major parties in the House, as they
realized they could not have a strong government without support
from the House.

"We are allocating 40 percent of Cabinet seats for political
parties and 60 percent for professionals," said the former
coordinating minister for people's welfare.

Susilo had said earlier that he would establish a limited
coalition after the Sept. 20 election only.

Susilo also said that he would only give a small portion of
the Cabinet seats to politicians, to avoid horse trading.

Kalla said on Tuesday that they would focus on seeking support
from the grass roots to win the election.

Susilo's Democratic Party only won 7 percent of the vote in
the April 5 legislative election, while Megawati's PDI-P won
around 20 percent.

"What we meant by 'limited coalition' was excluding the PDI-P.
Should we win the presidential election we have to start talking,
but off course that would be after Sept. 20," Kalla said on
Thursday.

Megawati had earlier met with chief patron of the National
Awakening Party (PKB) Abdurrahman Wahid and leader of the Reform
Star Party (PBR) Zainuddin M.Z.