PD, PAN, PKB, PPP endorse Taufik Kiemas for MPR Speaker

The Democratic Party (PD) and its three coalition partners - the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB), and the United Development Party (PPP) - have agreed to endorse Taufik Kiemas as the new People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker.

PAN Secretary General Zulkifli Hassan said that the agreement to endorse Taufik, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chief patron, was reached during an informal meeting between the coalition parties' elite.

"So, the wall between Taufik and the MPR speaker post has been removed," he said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

PKS was the only Democratic Party's coalition partner that was left out of the meeting.

"We believe that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) will still support our candidate, Hidayat Nur Wahid," PKS Deputy Secretary General Fahri Hamzah said separately.

Fahri said that SBY had given his word to support Hidayat, who is also the current MPR speaker, prior to the July presidential election.

"I believe SBY is a good man and would keep his promise. Besides, Taufik is the enemy. It would be more comfortable for SBY to support his own friend like Pak Hidayat," he said.

Taufik's wife, PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, was SBY's rival during the presidential election. (hdt)