Susilo-Kalla eyes smaller parties

Susilo-Kalla eyes smaller parties

Tiarma Siboro and Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta/Semarang

After failing to win support from the country's major parties,
presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his running
mate Jusuf Kalla are turning their eyes to other influential
nationalist and religious-based parties.

On Friday morning, the pair, who are contesting the
presidential election under the banner of the newly established
Democratic Party, held a closed-door working breakfast with four
members of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)'s law making body
at Kalla's residence in South Jakarta.

During a brief press briefing afterwards, Kalla said the
meeting was aimed at stepping up dialog between them on
"nationalism issues", as well as "sharing views on the parties'
political platforms."

"Today's meeting was not the first as we had previously held
several meetings to discuss various issues, especially the
parties' political platforms.

"We also discussed efforts to create a better Indonesia,
including improving the national education system, creating
harmonious ties among the followers of different religions,
eradicating corruption and maintaining good relations with
foreign countries," he said.

Kalla refused, however, to identify the PKS members he had met
with, saying that this was at their request.

He further said that two other parties, the Amien Rais-led
National Mandate Party (PAN) and Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's
National Awakening Party (PKB), had expressed political support
for the Susilo-Kalla ticket.

"Soon, we will sign a declaration establishing a coalition,"
Kalla said.

In the April 5 legislative elections, Susilo's Democratic
Party came fourth with 56 seats, making it a minority faction in
the 550-member House of Representatives.

Susilo had earlier said that his party would only establish a
coalition after Oct. 1, pending the results of the Sept. 20
runoff.

Analysts criticized Susilo's strategy, saying it would make it
difficult for him to govern effectively if he won the presidency.

Susilo's rival in the runoff, President Megawati Soekarnoputri
of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), has won
fresh support, and formally unveiled a coalition on Thursday.

Megawati's four-party coalition links the three biggest
parties in the next House of Representatives plus a minor party,
which will jointly account for 307 seats in the 550-member House
when it is sworn in October.

The coalition consists of the Golkar Party, which won the most
seats in April's national legislative election (127 seats), the
Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP-58 seats) and the
Christian-orientated Prosperous Peace Party (PDS-13 seats).
Megawati's PDI-P itself came second in the election with 109
seats.

If the planned coalition between the Democratic Party and the
PKS, PAN and PKB becomes reality, Susilo would have the support
of 118 House members.

Separately, PKB chairman Alwi Shihab said the party's central
board had yet to decide whether or not it would support Susilo's
bid for presidency, but underlined that the PKB's provincial
chapters in East Java, South Sulawesi and North Sulawesi had
expressed their support for the Susilo-Kalla ticket.

"Our final decision will be made at the national working
meeting on Aug. 31. Of course, the three provincial chapters do
not represent all of the PKB's 32 branches," Alwi told reporters
after joining Susilo at the screening of a film titled Commanding
Heights: The Battle for the World Economy, The Battle of Ideas at
the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel in Central Jakarta.

The PKS executive board recently said that it would announce
its definitive stance "some time before Sept. 20."