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everal political parties have threatened to quit a planned coalition with the Democratic Party (PD) and form an entirely separate alliance after SBY named Bank Indonesia governor Boediono as his running mate for the upcoming presidential race.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), National Mandate Party (PAN), National Awakening Party (PKB) and United Development Party (PPP) had joined the PD coalition to support the incumbent President in the hope he would select one of their leaders to run as the vice-presidential candidate.

Members of PKS, whose cadre Hidayat Nurwahid was tipped to be the running mate of Susilo Bambang Yudhoy ono , demanded the PD and the President offer an explanation for the reasons behind the unilateral decision.

"This decision has opened the possibility for us to form a new coalition and face SBY in the race," said Annis Matta, Secretary-General of PKS. Annis claimed there had never been any previous discussion of Boediono emerging as a potential candidate until now.

Chairman of the PAN board of patrons, Amien Rais, said the four parties won a total of 25 percent of the vote in the legislative election and would likely form "an alternative axis" (alliance) to contest the race.

Deputy chairman of the PAN faction at the House of Representatives, Djoko Susilo, said apart from the fact Boediono did not belong to any of the coalition parties, the choice was not in line with the tradition of choosing one Javanese and one non-Javanese candidate for the partnership.

Furthermore, Djoko claimed Boediono's "neoliberal western economic perspective" did not suit Indonesia.

"We are suspicious of a possible American interference behind the decision," he said.

PPP Deputy Chairman Lukman Hakim said his party acknowledged SBY's right to name a vice-presidential running mate, but added the President should have consulted the coalition parties first.

"The very first thing SBY needs to do now is clarify his decision for Boediono," he said.

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Firman Jaya Daely, said SBY's decision to select Boediono as his running mate had not been part of the ongoing political dialogue between the PDI-P and the PD.