Several National Mandate Party (PAN) members may have been spotted recently supporting other presidential candidates, but the party's leaders say they remain firm in their support for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party in his bid for re-election on July 8.
Former PAN chairman Amien Rais said on Tuesday that although the party's support for Yudhoyono would not waver, it would not sanction party members who backed other presidential candidates.
"It's the members' right and we won't sanction or dismiss them," Amien said on the sidelines of PAN's national coordinating meeting at the Sultan Hotel in Jakarta.
PAN secretary general Zulkifli Hasan said the party could do nothing if rank-and-file members decided to back other candidates, but the party would act if it found that PAN leaders had supported other candidates.
Zulkifli said it would not be possible to force all of its members to back Yudhoyono, but that PAN was behind the pairing of Yudhoyono and Boediono, the former Bank Indonesia governor.
He said he was sure that PAN chairman Sutrisno Bachir, who did not attend the meeting, agreed with PAN's decision to back Yudhoyono and Boediono.
Several PAN members attended the official announcement of the candidacy of Megawati Sukarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and her running mate, Prabowo Subianto of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), in Bekasi on Sunday.
PAN legislators Dradjad Wibowo and Alvin Lie were seen among the supporters of the Golkar Party's presidential candidate, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, when he registered his candidacy with his running mate, Wiranto of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), at the General Elections Commission (KPU).
PAN advisory board deputy chairman Hatta Rajasa said the party's support of Yudhoyono had been made clear at the PAN leadership meeting in Yogyakarta.
He said the party would form technical teams to support the Yudhoyono-Boediono ticket.
Alvin, who attended the PAN meeting, said his support for Kalla and Wiranto was personal. He decided to back them after Yudhoyono picked Boediono, not Hatta, as his running mate.