Anita Rachman – A leading Democrat on Monday said the daily leadership of the pro-government coalition, currently in the hands of Golkar Party, could soon be rotated among the other members.

Jafar Hafsah, chairman of the Democratic Party faction at the House, said that although the decision was not yet final, there had been talks on the possibility of giving the managing chairman position to all parties based on a rotation system.

Jafar said that under the details of the proposal, current managing chairman Aburizal Bakrie, Golkar head, would be moved into a deputy chairman position.

However, a senior Golkar source challenged Jafar's statement, saying that under a final contract the party had recently signed to stay in the coalition, the joint secretariat's daily leadership would not be rotated but would remain firmly in Aburizal's hands.

A 2009 agreement appointed Aburizal as the managing chairman of the joint secretariat, serving alongside secretary Syarif Hasan from the Democrats. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono serves as the group's general chairman.

Priyo Budi Santoso, chairman of Golkar's executive board, also said on Monday that as far as he knew, the rotation would only apply to the leadership of individual meetings, but not for the managing chairmanship. "So far as I know, it's about the meeting leader's rotation. Not the daily manager," Priyo said.

Following repeated instances where coalition members disagreed on key issues, Yudhoyono has demanded that all member parties renew their commitment to the consensus-driven group through a contract that compels them to give their full support to the government in both legislative and executive matters.

Talk of the new contract has particularly centered on Golkar and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Two of the leading parties in the coalition, both have broken rank with other members on several major issues.

Democratic chairman Anas Urbaningrum has said that the renewed agreement is "a refinement and further operational translation of the October 15, 2009, contract," referring to the initial contract signed by coalition member parties. Anas also confirmed that all but the PKS had signed the revised contract.

The senior Golkar source also said that under the new contract signed by the party, it was still allowed to put forth a differing opinion, but not on strategic matters.

On Sunday, M. Romahurmuziy, deputy secretary general of the United Development Party (PPP), said that one point in the contract said that the coalition would be led collectively.

He also said that a leadership rotation system would serve to bridge what he believed was a widening communication gap among the members of the joint secretariat. "Communication now is usually only between Yudhoyono and Aburizal," he said.

Speaking separately, PKS senior official Fahri Hamzah said his party was not worried about the fact that it was the only coalition member not yet offered the new contract to sign. He said PKS felt confident and would wait for the president to invite the party for discussions.