Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – The nation's most powerful business lobby group ended its national meeting on Monday with reelected chairman Mohamad Suleman Hidayat throwing his support behind President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's bid for a second term in office.

Hidayat, held in high regard by members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for keeping the group's interests fairly high on the government's list of priorities, said the group would continue its partnership with the government in keeping the business climate healthy.

"But we are still an independent institution... based on the (1987) Kadin law," he told reporters on the sidelines of the two-day Kadin national meeting.

"Therefore, we will continue working with the government because we have the same visions in mitigating (the impact of) the (economic) crisis and in developing our economy over the next five years."

Hidayat added he would meet with Yudhoyono soon to find ways to help each business sector cope with the crisis, and said he expected a set of policies to be issued and implemented as early as January.

However, Kadin's support for the President is not without its conditions, with the group demanding Yudhoyono put together a more solid team of economic ministers in dealing with the crisis. "All economic ministers must be coordinated under one command, and not by their own agenda," he said.

Speculation about "disharmony" among economic ministers is rife, revolving around Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and Forestry Minister Malam Sambat Kaban.

Mulyani and Mari are considered professional appointments to the Cabinet, while Anton and Kaban are in the Cabinet solely to appease the interests of the Justice and Prosperous Party (PKS) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB), respectively.

Kadin, often dubbed "the Kadin Party", played a crucial role in backing Yudhoyono in the 2004 presidential election, after it deemed the incumbent president Megawati Soekarnoputri "unfriendly" to its interests.

Knowing full well Kadin's influence, financially and politically, Yudhoyono will have little option but to strike a deal with the group or risk being shunned, as Megawati was.

Kadin brings together most of the country's influential businesspeople at the national and provincial levels, but with a strong Golkar Party slant.

Hidayat, for one, is a Golkar politician specifically tasked by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, a top Kadin member himself, with managing the group.

Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie was Kadin chairman before Hidayat. Industry Minister Fahmi Idris, a senior Golkar politician, is also a senior member of the group.

Sofjan Wanandi, chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), said Hidayat was the right person to fill the position, especially in dealing with future challenges in the wake of the global economic downturn.

"I believe we have to work together to get out of this (economic) crisis, and (Hidayat) has the ability to embrace all of us," said Sofjan, a close ally of Hidayat's in lobbying the government.

"That's why no Kadin members tried to challenge him in the race to be chairman, making him the only candidate."