Three days before the registration deadline, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri was not yet able to confirm her running mate for the upcoming presidential race despite intensive talks Wednesday between her party and the political group of Prabowo Subianto.
A team from Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and its counterpart from Prabowo's Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) spent most of the day discussing final points about the plan to pair Megawati and Prabowo in the July 8 election.
"We are now in the middle of finalizing talks with Prabowo's team, concerning our plan to nominate Megawati and Prabowo as presidential and vice presidential candidates," PDI-P deputy leader Tjahyo Kumolo said Wednesday.
"There are also several technicalities that need to be addressed and we want to discuss them immediately."
PDI-P board of patrons member Sabam Sirait said the decision to name Prabowo as Megawati's running mate still required "further communications" but could be announced Thursday.
Megawati and Prabowo will hold a direct meeting at around 2 p.m. on Thursday after their preparatory teams have finalized discussions in the morning, Sabam said.
Tjahyo said the PDI-P team was led by Theo Syafei and comprised party secretary general Pramono Anung, Sabam Sirait and Puan Maharani, Megawati's daughter.
Tjahyo acknowledged that it was a tough night while the PDI-P was deliberating who should be named as Megawati's vice presidential candidate, as the clock was ticking.
"Thus if there is nothing wrong with the final discussion we would likely announce the pair Thursday."
Gerindra Media Center chief Haryanto Taslam confirmed that a serious dialogue between Megawati and Prabowo over coalition plans was underway.
"We are positive about this coalition plan and are expecting good news from it in the immediate future," he said.
Discussions between the PDI-P and Gerindra have gone through ups and downs as Prabowo initially insisted on nominating himself as a presidential candidate. Prabowo even held talks with other parties on the same lines.
However, on learning that other parties had joined an alliance with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party (PD), Prabowo had no choice but to resume negotiations with the PDI-P.
When asked about the reason why Prabowo was finally willing to lower his "price" to be a vice presidential candidate, Sabam Sirait said, "Well, maybe he has finally realized that to pursue a noble cause, a sacrifice is necessary."
Meanwhile, Megawati's husband and PDI-P chief patron Taufik Kiemas was rushed to hospital Wednesday with a heart attack.
However, he remained conscious and his long-term disease would not hamper his political activities, party leaders said.
Among Taufik's guests at the MMC hospital were PD secretary-general Marzuki Ali and senior Golkar figure Akbar Tandjung.
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