Jakarta – "The Democrats must find another coalition partner," said politics expert, Indra J. Piliang, yesterday. "This giant party is nominating its own candidate, so the Democrats must achieve significant votes on its own," he added.

Indra said Yudhoyono was not in the list of presidential candidates in a number of Golkar provincial branches. Jogya branch of Golkar, for instance, is naming Kalla, the Sultan of Yogyakarta, Agung Laksono (vice-chairman), Muladi, Akbar Tandjung (ormer chairman), and Surya Paloh as their candidates. They say these names should be included in the Survey of Golkar Executives. Meanwhile Balikpapan is supporting the Sultan, Aburizal Bakrie, Akbar, and Kalla.

Indra thinks the names proposed by Golkar are only in the first phase. "Essentially, Yudhoyono's chances of being nominated by Golkar are very slim," he said.

Golkar Vice Chairman, Agung Laksono, said party executives will discuss the 2009 presidential candidates after the general elections. These names will be proposed by the party's provincial and central executives by voting.

Last Friday Jusuf Kalla confirmed that he and Yudhoyono will not nominate themselves before the parties' voting results are out.

Kalla met with Akbar Tandjung yesterday in Palembang, and asked him to launch the XXVI Moslem Students Association Congress together. This was the first time Kalla met Tandjung again after Kalla defeated him at the Golkar Congress on December 2004.

- Anton A, Kurniasih, Dwi R.A., Heru C.N., S.G. Wibisono