YUDHOYONO MIGHT PICK PROFESSIONAL AS HIS RUNNING MATE

By Andi Abdussalam

akarta, April 24 (ANTARA) - Not willing to worsen the internal rifts within political parties, Democratic Party presidential hopeful Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is likely to pick his running mate for the upcoming July 8 presidential elections himself from the professional circles, political analysts say.

        "Yudhoyono is a very careful person who would avoid conflict with other parties and is very rational in taking decisions," Director of the Nusantara Survey and Research Institute (Laksnu) Gugus Joko Waskito said here on Friday.

        The Democratic Party, which is almost certain to become the winner of the recent legislative elections with a voter turnout of about 20 percent, has not yet decided on its vice presidential candidate which would team up with Yudhoyono in the presidential elections.

        A number of political parties such as Golkar, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP) have been vying for the vice presidential candidate post in a coalition with PD.

        While political communications were being built, Golkar on Wednesday decided to terminate its talks on coalition with PD and nominated its general chairman as its presidential condidate.

        The decision was taken amid rising aspirations with Golkar regional branches in the district level that Golkar should remain with PD and nominate its former chairman Akbar Tanjung as vice presidential candidate to pair up with Yudhoyono.

        In the meantime, rifts among cadres also hit political parties eying a coalition with PD. In this condition, Yudhoyono is likely to team up with a non-political party figure. This is to avoid creating further dissension among the political parties.

        "The chances for political party figures to be picked up by Yudhoyono as his running mate is therefore rather small. After all the incumbent president has set five criteria for his would-be vice presidential candidate," Henry Subiakto, political communications expert of the University of Airlangga said.

        The likelihood of Yudhoyono to pick non political party figure was also voiced by Hayono Isman, a member of PD's advisory council. He said Yudhoyono does not want to let internal rifts develop within Golkar because it would only harm common interest.

        Therefore, speculations that Yudhoyono would team up with Akbar Tanjung or with PAN cadre Hatta Radjasa are unlikely to happen because he is unwilling to create conflicts between his party and Golkar or with PD and PAN.

        Hayono Isman said the dynamism in the political parties can change any time and any mistake made in managing it could create undesired and unnecessary complications.

        "We all do not want to let internal rifts develop within Golkar because it would only harm our common interest," he said.

        In PAN there are two camps of difference aspirations between former PAN chairman Amien Rais and incumbent PAN chairman Sutrisno Bachir, according to Waskito, Thus, Yudhoyono is also unlikely to team up with a cadre from the PKS and PKB.

        "If SBY teams up with a cadre from a political party in a coalition with PD, it would create troubles," Wakito said. After all, PKB was no longer solid while PKS seemingly is not yet ready to place its cadres in the presidential or vice presidential positions.

        "PKS would prefer to be given bigger number of cabinet seats because its cadres are not yet ready for the presidential or vice presidential positions," he said.

        According to political scientist Henry Subiakto, Yudhoyono is likely to choose would-be vice presidential candidates from professionals. One of the criteria he mentioned was loyalty, which is something difficult for political parties to meet.

        A political party leader has the interest to nurture his/her party in the coalition, while in fact Yudhoyono needs a running mate who is able to help nurture the PD.

        Therefore, the most likely figure to accompany Yudhoyono is the one who comes from the professionals, particularly from a mass-based organization, Henry said.

        After all, figures from the professional circle could be widely accepted by the pubic at large. Among the five criteria set by Yudhoyono is a figure who is widely acceptable.

        He said that figures from the professional circle had no interest with political parties or certain political groups. Besides, loyalty and public acceptability, the other criteria are integrity, capability and affectivity.

        On speculations about the possibility of Yudhoyono to pick Akbar Tanjung, Henry said that the incumbent president had said he would not take a running mate from Golkar.

        Earlier, Hayono Isman said that the Democratic Party will not take a cadre from the Golkar Party to be the running mate of its presidential candidate unless the cadre is proposed through a party mechanism.

        Hayono Isman said that Yudhoyono had made it clear that especially for cadre from Golkar Party it must come from the party's mechanism. It must never come from outside the mechanism to avoid possible political complications.

        "I cannot say who will be picked as the vice presidential candidate for the Democratic Party. Yudhoyono is still studying developments affecting the other political parties," he said***1*** (A014/A/H-NG/B003). (T.A014/A/A014/B003) 25-04-2009 00:46:29