T

he gubernatorial election is just around the corner, but no political party on the City Council has yet officially nominated candidates for the next leaders of Jakarta.

Analysts suggest that with only about a month left for the parties to register their candidates at the Jakarta General Election Commission (KPU), it is very likely that local political elites are currently on the lookout to negotiate coalition deals with each other.

The commission will open registration between March 13 and 19, polling day is July 11.

The Democratic Party, which holds 32 of 94 seats on the City Council, is still not certain whom to endorse to run for the governor post, much less the deputy governor post, as it is waiting for a decision from the central board.

It is likely, however, that the party will back incumbent Governor Fauzi Bowo, who sits as a member of the party’s advisory council.

“We will probably back Fauzi because surveys have shown that he has a high approval and electability rate,” Ahmad Mubarok, a member of the party’s advisory council, said.

The party local branch named chairman Nachrowi Ramli as gubernatorial candidate last year.

The Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the second largest with 18 council seats, is still looking for another party to partner its candidate Triwisaksana, the party’s local branch advisory board chairman.

Selamat Nurdin, PKS Jakarta chairman, said recently that the party was eying a coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) – the third biggest party on the council with 11 seats. “A coalition with PDI-P would benefit us in securing votes for our candidates,” Selamat said.

PDI-P secretary-general Tjahjo Kumolo said that the party needed to coalesce with other parties to compete in the election and was still holding an internal survey to pick a candidate to endorse.

Candidates eligible for election should be supported by political parties who have garnered more than 15 percent of the votes during the 2009 Legislative Election or have more than 15 seats at the City Council.

The Golkar Party, a medium-sized party with only seven seats in the council, was also still waiting for instructions from its central board. “We are expecting to have received the decision by mid February,” Golkar Jakarta branch chairman Prya Ramadani said.

Executive director of the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) Kuskhrido ‘Dodi’ Ambardi observed that although the political parties were on the lookout for coalitions, the city’s heavyweights would influence much of the talks.

“The two largest parties, the Democratic Party and PKS, who both are eligible to endorse their own pair, will be at the center of these negotiations,” Dodi said.

“Lobbying and deal-making will happen only between the elite politicians. Back door agreements will be made,” he said.

Dodi predicted that only a few candidate pairs would emerge from party coalitions. “Political parties will not risk it, they will place their bets only on strong, well-known and electable candidates,” he said.

Political expert from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Syamsuddin Haris, said that rigorous, back-and-forth haggling would mean no politically-backed pair of candidates would be announced soon. “Parties will bargain to the very end, resulting in last minute decisions.”