Tony Hotland, Jakarta – A likely alliance between Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the 2009 presidential election is projected to be short-lived, if not a failure, observers said Thursday.
Top executives of the country's two largest political parties held their first public joint gathering Wednesday in Medan, North Sumatra, as part of their collaboration to win the province's local election slated for June next year.
While both parties have tabbed chances of a union in the next presidential election as premature, they did join forces in the last election to support PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri for a second term in office.
Golkar later deserted the PDI-P after Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who chose to run for the vice presidency with a different ticket, was made chairman.
"In practice, two elephants cannot walk side by side," said Indo Barometer survey institute's executive director Muhammad Qodari. "They'll step on each other's feet." He said that in theory it would be ideal.
A huge majority in the House of Representatives would see government policies easily passed without the complicated political lobbying that existed today, he said.
"But with the expected very small gap in votes between them, it would be hard to compromise in certain key situations," Indo said. Using Malaysia's Barisan Nasional coalition as an example, he said, "A big party with smaller ones as coalition partners is better".
Politician Roy B.B. Janis of the PDI-P's splinter Democratic Party of Reform (PDP) said the alliance between the two parties was not to gear toward the 2009 elections.
"It's a bit out of place," Roy said. "But whatever it's really for, it's going to be short-lived. "Even if they make it to 2009, it doesn't guarantee a victory."
In 2004, Megawati was supported by almost all major parties – but she still lost to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was endorsed by much smaller parties. Zannuba "Yenny" Arifah Chafsoh Rahman Wahid, the secretary general of the National Awakening Party (PKB), said she was looking into the Wednesday gathering and a possible further alliance.
"We shall see if things continue intensely," Zannuba said. "If they do, I'm sure we'll discuss it in our party meeting."
President Yudhoyono's Democratic Party said it did not consider the alliance a threat to their 2009 election goal to win a second term in office.
"As long as it's for the sake of the nation, I think it's not a problem," Yudhoyono said. "We don't see it as threatening," said party advisor Subur Budhisantoso, now in the Presidential Advisory Board.
Golkar chairman Jusuf Kalla said Wednesday's meeting discussed nothing other than the nation's problems. He said the 2009 election was not tabled. The President was informed about the meeting before it took place, he said.
The Medan meeting is to be followed with others in Palembang and Yogyakarta, where the two parties will join forces to win the local elections. The parties are expected to ensure the success of certain political bills, win local elections and run in the 2009 general elections.