Four Political Parties to Coalesce

By Barrie | October 13th, 2007 | No Comments

Four political parties — the Indonesian Democracy Party-Struggle (PDIP), Golkar Party, United Development Party (PPP) and the People`s Mandate Party (PAN) — are to form a “National League” in anticipation of the presidential election in 2009.

“We will declare it (the league`s formation) in April 2008. Now we can no longer say good-bye to each other today but the next day enter into coalition for an election,” Taufik Kiemas, chairman of the PDIP`s advisory board, said.

The four parties had decided to coalesce because they shared a common interest while they also adhered to the same ideology, namely Pancasila, Taufik who is also the husband of PDIP leader Megawati Soekarnoputri said.

About the Islam-based PPP, he said although it was mainly supported by Muslims, the PPP had historically never aimed to set up an Islamic state.

In the National League, the party controlling the greatest number of votes would have the right to name a presidential candidate.

The four parties were now continuously consolidating their positions in regard to various national political matters including the formation of a new General Elections Commission (KPU) and the formulation of political laws.

Meanwhile, Yeni Wahid, secretary general of the Nation`s Awakening Party (PKB), said a coalition between PPP and PDIP was bound to run into snags because there was an ideological difference between the two parties.

She said the PKB had not yet decided to coalesce with another party or to join an existing coalition. “We don`t rule out coalescing with like-minded parties. We will possibly even take the initiative to form a coalition,” she said after paying an Idul Fitri call on former president Megawati Soekarnoputri at the latter`s residence.

She said her party was now in a strategic position because it had a clear-cut mass base, namely the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim mass organization in the country as the Antara News reported.