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Muslim parties reject coalition proposal, but leave door open
Islam-based parties have balked at a proposal from a veteran politician urging them to form a coalition modeled after the so-called âcentral axisâ, which successfully defeated a major nationalist political coalition in 1999
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slam-based parties have balked at a proposal from a veteran politician urging them to form a coalition modeled after the so-called 'central axis', which successfully defeated a major nationalist political coalition in 1999.
Amien Rais, a senior member of the National Mandate Party (PAN), had earlier said that smaller Islam-based political parties could unite to form a coalition and nominate a presidential candidate to contend with the Democratic Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party and other major players.
Amien was the mastermind behind the central axis scheme in 1999. He convinced leaders of several small and medium-sized parties ' including PAN, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Justice Party (which is now the Prosperous Justice Party or PKS) and the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) ' to join forces and nominate the late Abdurrahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid for president.
Gus Dur won a majority of the votes in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which used to elect the president, and defeated Megawati Soekarnoputri, even though her party, the PDI-P, controlled 35 percent of seats in the
legislative body.
Leaders of the Muslim parties have rebuffed Amien's proposition.
'The PAN has never formally discussed the proposal to form a so-called central axis,' said PAN chairman Hatta Rajasa.
'It was an old idea. Today, we don't have a central axis, side axis, left axis, right axis or any other axis.'
Many have speculated that if such a coalition were established, Hatta, who is also the current coordinating economic minister, would likely be its presidential candidate.
PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali said he had never been formally invited to discuss the idea. He said his party was open to any form of cooperation with other political parties.
He also said, however, that any proposal to form a central axis was off the table.
'I don't want to use the term 'central axis' because it could be perceived as limited to what we had in the past. The PPP's door is open to any kind of alliance with other parties, as long as we share similar goals, thoughts and ideas,' said Suryadharma, who is also the religious affairs minister.
PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar said a coalition should be formed only 'when parties' ideologies and interests meet.'
Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin said a coalition for the 2014 presidential election would be inevitable because, according to polling, no party would be able to win 25 percent of legislative votes.
The 2009 Presidential Election Law stipulates that only political parties or coalitions of political parties with 25 percent of the national legislative vote are eligible to nominate a presidential candidate.
The talk on reviving the central axis has also been fueled by the popularity of former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD.
Mahfud, who is expected to run for president on the PKB's ticket, said that a series of meetings organized by Amien had taken place, but he denied that they were to discuss efforts to revive the central axis.
'We discussed a number of important issues that have to be dealt with by this country's next leader, and I think it was a positive gathering,' said Mahfud, who recently declined to join the Democratic Party's presidential convention.
Mahfud said that a new central axis coalition could boost his chances in the 2014 presidential election.
'[Reviving the central axis] is not my idea, but it would be another option [for me],' he said. 'I have been keeping in touch with many political parties, including Golkar, the Democratic Party, PDI-P and PPP, but more decisive moves will be made after the legislative election [in April].'
Late last year, the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) found that if the general election were to take place today, major Islam-based political parties ' namely PKS, PKB, PAN and PPP ' would all get less than 5 percent of the vote each and collectively would only garner 21.1 percent of the popular vote.
