Jakarta – Political analysts have criticized potential coalitions being discussed for the presidential elections as "superficial and fragile".

Such procedural mergers were less relevant under the presidential system and would ultimately not benefit the people, they said Friday.

Commenting on the broken coalition between the Democratic Party and the Golkar Party, Cecep Efendi, who closely observed the last two consecutive presidential races and Senate activities in the United States, said these presidential coalitions would not last because they were made for entirely the wrong reasons.

As there is a threshold which must be met in order for parties to nominate a candidate, the coalitions are merely legal and administrative requirements and would face significant difficulties when it comes to sharing power, he argued.

"So, if a coalition loses the presidential race that will be the end of it, and if it wins there will be no real benefit for the people," he said in a discussion at the House of Representatives in Jakarta.

Cecep said the coalition between PD and Golkar, despite having lasted almost five years, was fragile because it was established to maintain the status quo and win political support from parliament.

He said that if President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was aware of the political significance of the direct presidential election he won in 2004, then PD should never have coalesced with so many parties. There was no need for the President to be afraid of impeachment, he said, because it was impossible under the presidential system as long as no breach of the Constitution had occurred.

Coalitions, he argued, should be formed based on similar political platforms so a strong, unified front could at the very least benefit their supporters.

"Far before the presidential race, President SBY should introduce his vision, mission and political programs to the other parties which did well in the legislative elections. This way he not only increases his chances of winning another presidential term, but also win over eligible voters' sympathy and political support for any potential coalition," he said.

The results from the legislative election so far show PD winning with 21 percent of the total votes. Golkar so far have garnered 14.5 percent of the votes and is looking toward the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and the Teuku Umar Bloc for a strong, contract-based opposition in parliament if they lose the presidential election.

Separately, J. Kristiadi, from the Centre for Strategic International Studies (CSIS), said the potential coalitions so far do not reflect the public preference and ignore suggestions by election surveyors that PD and Golkar should continue together for a strong government.

"All parties which formed a coalition with PD in 2004 have proven themselves to be stable working partners for almost five years, but their political egos have driven them to walk separate ways now."

The new coalition being discussed between PD and the PKB, PKS or even PPP, he claimed, would not bring stability to SBY's government in the next five years if he won the upcoming vote.

"Democracy in our country is relatively new and is still unstable. If parties easily switch sides, this will undermine democracy and the political stability throughout the next five years." (fmb)