PPP CADRE RAISES IDEA ON AXIS FOR CHANGE COALITION

Jakarta, April 13 (ANTARA) - Associate chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) Emron Pangkapi raised the idea to change PPP's previous proposal for a golden triangle coalition into the axis for change coalition.

"I hope that the axis for change coalition would be formed to win the people's mandate to govern the country for the 2009-2004 period so that the nation's economy which has been affected by the global economic crisis could be safeguarded," Pangkapi said here on Sunday.
Before the legislative election was held last Thursday, PPP has previously proposed a golden triangle coalition which consisted of PPP, the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).
Pangkapi said that the axis for change was an axis coalition grouping non-victorious parties but had a collective vote of over 60 percent.
He said that the axis coalition should have its own presidential hopeful supported by all sides in the coalition. "For this, all party leaders should give priority to the interest of the coalition rather than to their respective parties," he said.
Pangkapi said that the coalition should be able to unite small parties and pick up an alternative figure for its presidential hopeful. "Ideally, parties in the coalition give the chance to Prabowo Subianto to be nominated as their presidential candidates," he said.
He said that the axis for change coalition should be sincere in giving a chance to Prabowo if it wanted to win the presidential race.
"The coalition should nominate Prabowo because Wiranto and Megawati Soekarnoputri have failed in the 2004 presidential elections. The same is true to Kalla where Golkar's votes have dropped significantly. So, Prabowo is the only appropriate alternative candidate," he said.
The quick count organized by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) on Thursday legislative polls indicated that the Democratic Party won 20.48 percent of the votes followed by PDI-P with 14.33 percent Golkar Party with 13.95 percent, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) 7.85 percent, the National Mandate Party (PAN) 5.72 percent, the United Development Party (PPP) 5.24 percent, the National Awakening Party (PKB) 5.12 percent, the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party 4.59 percent, the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) 3.78 percent, and the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) 1.70 percent.