In true keeping with the classic political adageare no permanent friends or enemies, but interests", some politicians have decided to put old rivalries on the back burner in the run-up to next year's legislative elections.

Pius Lustrilanang recently joined a party founded by Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, who was dismissed from the Army in 1998 after an operation to kidnap anti-government activists, including Pius, was uncovered.

Similarly, Zaenal Maarif signed on with the Democratic Party, despite his court battle last year with the party's chief patron President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a defamation case.

Pius, who was abducted by a team of the Army's elite force Kopassus in February 1998, will contest a House of Representatives seat in an East Nusa Tenggara electoral district under the banner of the Greater Indonesian Movement (Gerindra). Gerindra has registered another of its abduction victim, Desmon J. Mahesa, as a legislative candidate in an East Kalimantan electoral district.

The Democratic Party recruited Zaenal as its legislative candidate for Central Java.

Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, research professor at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), expressed concern over the phenomenon, which he said indicated an erosion of ideals among politicians.

"If politicians uphold freelancing beliefs and a free-wheeling style, we wonder if they are prepared to sacrifice anything to get the position," he told The Jakarta Post.

The problem facing Indonesian politicians and legislators, Ikrar added, was their unwillingness to accept defeat or stay out of power.

"Many of them would be jobless if they were kicked out of a party. They would move to any party willing to accept them. So what can we expect from these politicians?" he said.

Zaenal defended his new alliance with Yudhoyono, whom he said was a leader the country badly needed to ensure continuation of development programs. "Besides, my late mother appeared to me in a dream telling me to support SBY," Zaenal told the Post.

Pius said with Gerindra, he could continue fighting for the people's interests. "I've been in politics for quite a long time. I am among the first activists that turned to politics. It's normal if I look for a place that suits me," said Pius, who obtained his master's degree in the Netherlands.

Several other activists, political observers and politicians now represent parties they used to criticize.

Political expert Indra J. Pilliang, a stalwart critic of the Golkar Party, is now the party's legislative candidate in a Padang electoral district.

Former student activist and Golkar critic Nusron Wahid has been with the party longer. He now represents Golkar in the House. Nusron said people should differentiate the Golkar of today from that of the past. He claims the party is now part of a pro-democracy force.

Indra, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, dismissed speculation he was gunning for a top position.