Medan – A politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said on Friday that the rumor about the growing friendship between his party and the ruling Democratic Party was only a political maneuver conjured by unidentified people.

Senior PDI-P politician Panda Nababan said the party's official standpoint would be clear after the National Leaders Meeting in the near future.

PDI-P, which claimed to an opposition party, had been rumored to be growing closer to the Democratic Party amid speculation of increasing friction within the coalition, which includes the Democratic Party, Golkar Party, National Mandate Party (PAN), United Development Party (PPP), National Awakening Party (PKB) and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

The two largest parties in the coalition, the Democratic Party and Golkar, have squabbled several times over differing opinions on several issues. Last month, the remaining four parties said they increasingly felt that the coalition was only about the two larger parties, and the smaller parties felt sidelined.

The Democratic Party and PDI-P were reported to becoming closer, with, among others, speculation about potential 2014 presidential candidates, including a possible alliance between the daughter of PDI-P chief patron Taufik Kiemas and chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, Puan Maharani, and current First Lady Kristiani Herawati.

Panda said the idea of the pair was "premature"