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Megawati
says she's ready for coalition
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri says she is willing to
enter into coalition with major political parties in order
to retain the presidency.
Meanwhile, PDI-P deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung
claimed that presidential aspirant Hamzah Haz of the United
Development Party (PPP) has thrown his support behind Megawati.
In a surprise press briefing on Tuesday, Megawati said she
was ready to enter into coalition talks and planned to meet
the leaders of other political parties.
"We can talk about coalition but, as I always say,
we will wait until the vote count in the July 5 election
is completed," Megawati said at her official residence
on Jl. Teuku Umar, Central Jakarta.
Megawati, the leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI-P), currently has 26.2 percent of the 103.5
million votes counted and is likely to enter the runoff
election on Sept. 20, challenging Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
who is currently leading the provisional tally with 33.5
percent of the vote.
The three other candidates -- Wiranto, Amien Rais and Hamzah
Haz -- are likely to be eliminated.
Megawati and Susilo have been scrambling for support from
other political parties, particularly Golkar, which came
first in the April 5 legislative election.
Pramono said his party had held several meetings with Golkar
and had secured the support of PPP leader Hamzah, who met
Megawati on Tuesday.
"During the meeting, Pak Hamzah expressed the hope
that Ibu Mega would win the runoff, and both leaders agreed
to maintain the strong relations they have had to date,"
Pramono told journalists after the meeting.
He stressed that Hamzah had not asked for Cabinet seats
in the Megawati administration, saying that he only wanted
to support the President.
"There was no talk about Cabinet seats, but they both
agreed that the good relations between the two leaders should
be maintained," Pramono said.
Pramono said the PDI-P was looking forward to gaining the
PPP's official support during the party's national meeting
on Wednesday.
In a bid to boost Megawati's image, the party was seeking
professionals to fill Cabinet positions in her next administration,
should she win the runoff.
"We are approaching several professionals that we hope
will be capable of satisfying the public's expectations.
We will announce their names at the right time," Pramono
said after a meeting of PDI-P leaders on Tuesday.
He said that Megawati was expected to announce the names
of candidates for a number of Cabinet positions, including
the attorney general and economics ministers.
"We know that aside from building a coalition so as
to be capable of providing strong government, we also need
to boost Megawati's image. As the current President, it
is easier for her to make political changes." Pramono
added.
Sources in the party told The Jakarta Post that the meeting
discussed how to improve Megawati's public image, including
trying to change public perceptions about the influence
of her husband, Taufik Kiemas.
Taufik has reportedly been banned from talking to the press,
and journalists tried in vain on Tuesday to get him to comment
on the meeting at his residence.
"
Ask PDI-P officials, or you could ask Ibu yourselves,
but thank you for coming here," he said. M (JP/IM)
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