Vice presidential candidates wanted

Vice presidential candidates wanted

Now we know that at least five presidential candidates will
participate in the presidential election on July 5. They are
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party, Amien Rais of
the National Mandate Party (PAN), Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid of
the National Awakening Party (PKB), Megawati Soekarnoputri of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Wiranto of
Golkar.

However, out of the five candidates only Susilo has declared
his running mate: Jusuf Kalla. The other presidential aspirants
are still busy seeking their running mates.

It is clear that finding a vice president is the most
difficult thing in the country as every politician wants to
become the president. Amien Rais once said that he wanted a
nationalist to run with him, and a real nationalist, according to
Amien, is a military man. But he has yet to find the right
military man to serve as his running mate.

Meanwhile, the PDI-P finds itself in a major dilemma following
Megawati's plan to run with Hamzah Haz, her current vice
president and leader of the United Development Party (PPP). The
PPP responded to Megawati's plan with a request that Hamzah be
involved in deciding the line-up of the (new) cabinet.

As for the PKB camp, a vice presidential candidate has yet to
emerge as Gus Dur's candidacy could be thwarted by the health
requirements set by the General Elections Commission (KPU) and
the Indonesian Doctors Association. Meanwhile, Golkar is waiting
for an official statement from its headquarters on its vice
presidential candidate.

It is obvious that political coalitions among the parties will
be the best way of securing vice presidential candidates.
Coalitions in a multiparty system like ours are a must. But we
need political coalitions that benefit the nation, because a
coalition -- by definition -- is supposed to accommodate
plurality as part of democratic life.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta