The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) did little to ease concerns about its status as a conservative Islamic organization on Thursday, maintaining its strong objections to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's apparent vice presidential nominee on religious grounds.
The rupture over Yudhoyono's likely choice of Bank Indonesia Governor Boediono as a running mate is threatening to tear apart the proposed coalition between Yudhoyono's Democratic Party (PD) and the PKS, with a high-level overture from Yudhoyono apparently being snubbed by at least one senior PKS member on Thursday.
A delegation consisting of PD Chairman Hadi Utomo, State Secretary Hatta Rajasa and Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi – all close Yudhoyono supporters – met with PKS Chairman Tifatul Sembiring and party Secretary General Anis Matta at the Bank Mega building in Jakarta on Thursday.
PKS Consultative Council Chairman Hilmi Aminuddin was absent, despite earlier indications from Tifatul that he would attend. The chair of the party's highest decision-making body instead chose to meet with Prabowo Subianto of the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra).
Though the delegation representing Yudhoyono refused to discuss what transpired during the meeting, Tifatul was much more candid, saying that they had failed to reach an agreement.
"They explained Yudhoyono's decision to pick Boediono and we explained our stance that we expect his running mate to be someone who represents [Muslims]. But we did not reach a deal," he said.
There has been speculation that the PKS has suggested a number of candidates to run on Yudhoyono's ticket, including Chairul Tandjung, a successful businessman who owns the bank in which the meeting was held.
The Democratic Party has a stronger position, as it can endorse Yudhoyono for president outright – without the support of other parties – because it secured 150 seats in the House of Representatives. But the Democrats have been looking to form a strong coalition to shore up support in the House for the next five years.
PKS, which won about 7 percent of the popular vote in the legislative elections in April, has limited time to play with because the registration period for presidential candidates ends on Saturday.
Anis, the PKS secretary general, on Thursday said that the party had prepared a number of alternatives to help prevent deadlocked talks, including intensifying communications with Golkar Party Chairman Jusuf Kalla, the incumbent vice president.
It also approached Gerindra and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), chaired by former President Megawati Sukarnoputri. "Some in the PKS are demanding a new coalition," Anis said.
The other likely presidential pairings are Kalla and Wiranto of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), as well as the Megawati and her possible choice, Prabowo.
Yudhoyono and Boediono, a former cabinet minister, are expected to declare their bid on Friday evening in Bandung, while Kalla and Wiranto are expected to register this morning.