Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – Megawati Soekarnoputri has no other choice but to pick Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra) head Prabowo Subianto as her running mate for the upcoming presidential election.
Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) had expected to win some 15 percent of votes in the legislative election, but will have to coalesce with Garindra, the only significant contender that has yet to form a coalition with another party.
PDI-P officials said the party was waiting until the last minute for the General Elections Commission (KPU) to announce the results of the legislative election, scheduled for May 9, before it settles on a coalition partner.
"We want to maximize the remaining time before the KPU announces the results of the vote counting to lobby with those who are interested in building a coalition with the PDI-P for the presidential election," PDI-P secretary-general Pramono Anung told journalists after attending a closed door meeting of the party's central board here Thursday.
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP) have declared they will be part of a coalition with incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, while the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Golkar Party have formed a third major coalition.
SBY is set to announce his running-mate for his reelection bid on Saturday. Pramono however said that Megawati might have met with Prabowo or with other party leaders to make a personal agreement without any public announcement.
"We should give the chance to these public figures to be able to share their feelings freely in private because we consider it could be more effective than the ones held before and exposed to the public," he said.
He said right now intensive yet serious dialogues had been pursued with several parties and potential figures by the PDI-P. "We are communicating the idea of a coalition with many parties, such as the Great Indonesia Movement Party and they are still underway. Thus let us wait and see about it in the following days."
The 2008 Law on Presidential Elections requires a political party or a coalition of parties to hold at least 20 percent of seats (based on the results of the legislative election) in the House of Representatives to be eligible to field a candidate for the presidential election.
Maruarar Sirait, a PDI-P legislator who also attended the meeting, said a coalition would be possible for the party as long as its potential partner accepts Megawati as the presidential candidate, as decided by the party's national congress.
He acknowledged Prabowo was the only candidate the PDI-P was seriously considering to be Megawati's running mate.
Permadi, a new but influential member of Gerindra, said recently that the party has recommended the nomination of Prabowo as presidential candidate and was pursuing a coalition with other parties to find a running mate.
Many analysts have speculated that Prabowo could be a tough opponent for the incumbent President but, according to recent surveys, Megawati's electability is far higher than Prabowo or Wiranto.