Muninggar Sri Saraswati – The three Islam-based parties that had threatened to quit a Democratic Party-led coalition, after being angered by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's vice presidential choice, on Friday said they were back in the fold.

Senior leaders of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN), which together got some 18 percent of the vote

in the legislative polls, agreed to drop their objections shortly before attending a ceremony to declare their support for Yudhoyono and his vice presidential pick, central bank Governor Boediono.

PKS patron Hilmi Aminuddin, leaving an hourlong meeting with Yudhoyono in Bandung, West Java, said that the party would now sign a coalition agreement with the Democrats.

Hilmi was accompanied by PKS chairman Tifatul Sembiring, secretary general Anis Matta and entrepreneur Chairul Tanjung, who many believed had been the party's choice for Yudhoyono's running mate.

"We're now on track to make the declaration," Hilmi said. Tifatul later concurred, saying, "We agree to join the coalition of the Democratic Party."

Separately, Democratic Party chairman Hadi Utomo said, "We had made deals [with all parties] to establish a coalition and are in agreemeant to run the pair, SBY-Boediono, as presidential and vice presidential candidates."

Hadi said that his party and the PKS would hold further discussions about PKS's demand for a more equitable power sharing deal should Yudhoyono win the July 8 presidential election.

Tifatul, however, flatly denied rumors that the Democrats, who won more than 20 percent of the popular vote in April, had offered to double PKS's cabinet seats to four, saying: "There was no talk about power sharing."

PKS, PPP and PAN had previously aired opposition to Yudhoyono's choice of Boediono, with some saying the post should go to a politician with a strong Islamic background.

The National Awakening Party (PKB) was the only coalition member that accepted the president's choice from the outset.

PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali, who held a meeting with Yudhoyono prior to the declaration, also said that his party now supported Boediono. He acknowledged that his party had been "a bit emotional" when confronted with the pick, but said it now accepted the president's reasoning.

PAN secretary general Zulkifli Hasan attended the Yudhoyono-Boediono declaration and pledged support for the pair along with counterparts from the 22 other parties in the coaltion.