PDIP, PPP AGREE TO STEP UP POLITICAL COOPERATION

Jakarta, March 19 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle (PDIP) and the United Development Party (PPP)have agreed to intensify their political cooperation and commit jointly to ushering in fair, just, peaceful and respectable 2009 general elections.
The agreement was reached during a closed-door meeting between PDIP leader Megawati Soekarnoputri and PPP Chairman Suryadharma Ali here on Thursday.
The two party leaders met a moment before a forum on "PPP Listens" at the PPP headquarters.
Suryadharma Ali diplomatically said after the meeting that it was not totally wrong if one said the leaders of PDIP and PPP had formed a political coalition in their meeting.
"PPP is not allergic to the leadership of a woman and this even makes it clear about where the PPP position is," he said.
He said that a coalition among PDIP, PPP and Golkar would be a very strategic way to ensure victory in the 2009 presidential race.
On the occasion, Suryadharma Ali praised Megawati as a "very tender mother with a tough heart." "She is tough because she has idealism to fight for the interest of the people and to bring a change for the nation," he said.
In the meantime, Megawati, when she made her political address in the forum themed "Presidential Hopeful and the Hope for President," said PDIP and PPP once built a strong spiritual bond and political cooperation.
The PDIP-PPP relations were best remembered in the phrase "Mega Bintang" in a general election campaign during the New Order era and the appointment of Hamzah Haz, the then PPP chairman, as vice president when Megawati led the government.
"Mega" refers to PDIP chair Megawati while "bintang" or star refers to the symbol of PPP at that time.
"Therefore, as a close neighbor, PPP should establish a close relationship with PDIP rather than with other parties," she said.