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Indonesia: Parties eye new coalition for 2009 presidential race
(AKI/Jakarta Post) - Indonesia's two biggest political parties are reviving attempts to establish a coalition for the 2009 presidential race. They could pose a serious threat to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla's chances of re-election on a joint ticket. Key figures from the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) held a rare meeting in Jakarta on Monday to explore the possibility of temporarily linking forces - the third such meeting in the past two years. PDI-P chief patron Taufik Kiemas led the party's delegation in the meeting with Golkar's national and regional boards of patrons in Ancol, North Jakarta. Among other PDI-P key figures in attendance were party secretary-general Pramono Anung and deputy chairman Panda Nababan. On the sidelines of the meeting, they held closed talks Golkar heavyweights led by Kalla (Photo) who is party chairman. Kalla was accompanied by Golkar chief patron Surya Paloh, House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono and deputy party chairman Theo Sambuaga. Yudhoyono was invited to the meeting as chief patron of his Democratic Party, but declined to attend. He instead received Swaziland King Mswasti III at the State Palace and later in the evening attended a closed meeting with his own party's board of patrons. Taufik, the husband of PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, stressed the need for his party and Golkar to form a coalition for the presidential race before the legislative elections in April next year. "We have to start it now, because it will be difficult to form a coalition after the (legislative) election," he was quoted as saying by Antara. Surya Paloh welcomed Taufik's request, saying Golkar needed a strategic alliance with PDI-P. Theo Sambuaga said the meeting had brought the two parties a step closer to forming a coalition. "It is not an ordinary gathering. This is a meeting of the country's two biggest parties, so we did talk about the possibility of forming a coalition. But we just think it will be better if we form a coalition after the legislative election," he told The Jakarta Post. Theo said Golkar needed to know the results of the legislative election before making a commitment to any parties. Taufik, however, said the PDI-P would announce which parties it would form a coalition with as well as a running mate for Megawati in November. Posted by: Fred 2008-08-27 |
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