Blontank Poer, Surabaya – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) ended a two-day meeting Wednesday no closer to picking a running mate for chairwoman and presidential hopeful Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Party executives had expected the gathering to result in a shortlist of candidates for Megawati's partner. Megawati blamed the party's failure to name her running mate candidate on the prospective nominees' refusal to swallow their pride.

"Even now, none of them has announced a bid to be a vice presidential candidate. Everybody wants to be president," she said.

Several names have been touted as potential running mates to the former president, including Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, whom she met with three times in the past week.

PDI-P executives also tasked Megawati with forming a team to lobby prospective vice presidential candidates and another team to set the criteria for the running mate hopefuls.

Several surveys say the PDI-P will be the party to beat in the April legislative elections, with Megawati the strongest contender to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Calls for Hamengkubuwono to team up with Megawati received a major boost earlier on Wednesday, with 31 provincial PDI-P branches backing him.

Media magnate and Golkar Party chief advisor Surya Paloh emerged as a surprising alternative candidate, supported by 14 provincial branches.

"The nomination of Pak Surya is quite surprising, but it's perhaps because of his close ties with the PDI-P," party secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo said.

Surya is a key figure behind a move to form a grand coalition between the PDI-P and Golkar, which has yet to bear fruit.

PDI-P deputy chairman and Megawati's husband, Taufik Kiemas, welcomed the idea of a Megawati-Surya team. "This reflects the dynamics of the party. We always respect national figures," Taufik said.

The meeting was held at the four-star Hotel Sunan in Surakarta, Central Java, with room rates from US$80 to $410 per night. More than 1,000 people attended the event.