PRO-YUDHOYONO PARTIES QUESTION HIS PLAN TO PICK BOEDIONO

BY Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 12 (ANTARA) - Amid his efforts to approach the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and reports that he is going to pick Boediono as his running mate in the upcoming presidential race, Democratic Party (PD) chief patron Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) is facing a threat of reduced support from party cadres in his coalition.

        Cadres of political parties which built a coalition with the PD are questioning Yudhoyono's reported plan to pick Boediono, governor of Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank) as his running mate, a move seen by many quarters as an attempt to approach PDIP.

        "The emergence of Boediono is feared to dampen the spirit of political party cadres (in SBY's Democratic Party coalition)," secretary general of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan, said.

        So far, PAN has been one of the political parties that have aligned themselves with Yudhoyono's Democratic Party. The other parties are the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP).

        On Tuesday, a number of lawmakers in the House of Representatives who are also cadres of political parties supporting Yudhoyono's coalition held a meeting at the parliament building to discuss Yudhoyono's reported plan to run with Boediono.

        The meeting was attended by chairman of PKS faction in the DPR Mahfudz Siddiq, PKS Secretary General Anis Matta, PPP faction chairman Lukman Hakim Saefuddin, PAN faction chairman who is also PAN secretary general M Najib and deputy secretary general of PKB Imam Nachrowi.

        "We are surprised by the information (that Yudhoyono is to pick Boediono as his running mate) because we were not consulted in the first place," Mahfudz Siddiq said. He said he heared the information on Monday.

        He said that he was also surprised to learn about the discourse about a coalition between the PD and PDIP. Political parties which have previously built a coalition with the PD also did not have any complete information from the Democratic Party's plan to coalesce with PDIP.

        "We learnt about the discourse from media reports and on the road. What kind of coalition is this? After all, Boediono was reportedly endorsed by PDIP," Mahfudz said.

        According to Mahfudz, the present conditions hampered the direction of the coalition which had just been built where Yudhoyono since the beginning had talked about the desired format and clear rules based on political contracts and common platform.

        In the meantime, Anis Matta said his side had received an invitation from SBY for the declaration of the presidential ticket on May 15 though the would-be vice residential candidate issue was not yet clear.

        Therefore, PKS and other political parties supporting Yudhoyono needed to take an attitude if Yudhoyono proceeded with his plan on Boediono's vice presidential candidacy without consulting political parties in the coalition.

        Associate chairman of PKS Mahfudz Siddiq said SBY's signal to pick Boediono indicated the weakness of communications and coalition now being built together with the Democratic Party (PD).

        "This is an indication that the coalescing process is not smooth and proceeding in one direction only. PKS was not asked to discuss the matter," Mahfudz Siddiq.

        He said that PKS would soon adopt an attitude together with other parties which had joined the PD coalition, namely PAN, PKB and PPP.

        According to secretary general of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan, the emergence of Boediono is feared to dampen the spirit of political party cadres in SBY's Democratic Party coalition.

        Zulkifli said PAN cadre Hatta Rajasa, who is also minister/state secretary had told him that Yudhoyono had decided to pick Boediono as his running mate.

        Recently, PAN at its recent national working meeting in Yogyakarta recommended that Rajasa be proposed as a vice presidential candidate to pair with Yudhoyono. Thus, he was surprised when he heard that Boediono would be chosen as Yudhoyono's running mate.

        He said that the change in the map of would-be vice presidential candidate for Yudhoyono from Hatta Rajasa to Boediono had reduced PAN cadre's enthusiasm to fight for SBY's victory in the coming presidential elections.

        Zulkifli said PAN would hold a meeting soon to formulate its attitude towards Yudhoyono's plan (to pick Boediono). "We will meet again to determine PAN's stance after the signal that Rajasa is not to become SBY's vice presidential candidate," he added.

        The same thing was also expressed by Mahfudz Siddiq. He said his party had not decided whether to continue or to pull out of the coalition with the Democratic Party.

        Mahfudz said that if PDIP joined the coalition and SBY really embraced Boediono, PKS would surely question it. "Yudhoyono has always said that the coalition he was to build was a coalition with political parties which had the same political platform," he added.

        "So, we will question whether this coalition is based on political platform or on safeguarding interest only," he said.

        Imam Nachrowi of the the PKB said political parties which form the coalition should be consulted before a decision was to be taken. PKB wanted to build harmonious relations before the presidential elections were held.

        "Yet, the situation has turned like this even before the presidential elections are held. What would it be like later on?" he questioned.

        Lukaman Hakim meanwhile said that a decision on the vice presidential candidate was in the hands of the presidential candidate but PPP had firmly suggested that vice presidential candidate should be taken from political parties.

        "Our constituents also question the reason for picking up Boediono. So, it would be better for Yudhoyono to explained whether r this issue is true or not," he added. ***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/21:10/H-YH) (T.A014/A/A014/A/H-YH) 12-05-2009 21:07:45