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SBY to meet with Dems provincial leaders over coalition
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in his capacity as the chairman of the Democratic Party, is slated to meet with the partyâs 33 provincial branch leaders at his residence in Cikeas, West Java, on Saturday afternoon to discuss the partyâs next moves ahead of the July 9 presidential election
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resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in his capacity as thechairman of the Democratic Party, is slated to meet with the party's 33provincial branch leaders at his residence in Cikeas, West Java, on Saturdayafternoon to discuss the party's next moves ahead of the July 9 presidentialelection.
The meeting is aimed at seeking input from regional party branches in relation to the idea of having the ruling party form its own coalition and nominate its own presidential candidate, party member Roy Suryo Notodiprojo told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Among other topics to be discussed in the meeting, according to the youth and sports minister, would be an evaluation of the party's performance in the April 9 legislative election, which pushed the Democratic Party to fourth position with around 10 percent of the vote, as opposed to the 20 percent it garnered in 2009.
Despite its nose-dive performance, which was believed to be largely caused by numerous grafts cases implicating the party's current and former members, Yudhoyono has indicated that the Democratic Party will form a coalition with other middle-ranked parties to reach an accumulative popular vote of 25 percent, which is required to nominate a presidential candidate.
Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Syariefuddin Hasan, who is also the party's executive chairman, confirmed that the idea of forming a coalition would be a priority topic for discussion this afternoon.
'But there are still other options,' he added.
Analysts have said that Yudhoyono's idea could draw parties already in talks with presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto of the Gerindra Party and Aburizal Bakrie of the Golkar Party to approach Yudhoyono, potentially damaging Prabowo and Aburizal's efforts to garner more support in order to reach the 25 percent threshold.
Gerindra, which achieved around 11.5 percent of the popular vote, is on the brink of losing support from the United Development Party (PPP), while Golkar, which gained around 14.5 percent, is reportedly closer to sealing a deal with the Hanura Party.
