Jakarta – A number of political parties are ready to declare their support for National Mandate Party (PAN) presidential candidate Amien Rais, PAN secretary general, Yasin Kara said Thursday.

Ready to give their support for Amien are Indonesia's Marhaenism National Party, the Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK), the Reform Star Party (PBR), the United Indonesia Party (PSI), and the Socialist Democratic Labor Party (PBSD).

"The political parties will declare their support during a meeting to be held at the Kafe Tenda Senayan restaurant tomorrow (Friday)," he said. The choice of an open-air restaurant for the declaration of the parties' support for Amien and Siswono, shows the people that it is not an exclusive gathering, he explained.

The parties previously chose the Al Azhar mosque as the venue but changed it, said Yasin, who is also a member of Amien's campaign team.

He said the parties were planning to hold the declaration of support for Amien and his running mate Siswono Yudohusodo last week but the timing did not work out.

Amien recently stated that it was not easy to form a coalition of many parties. "Forming a big coalition is not the same as setting up a small firm. The coalition is made for a national leader so it must be formed carefully," he said.