DEMOCRATIC PARTY YET TO DECIDE ON VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: YUDHOYONO

Jakarta, April 22 (ANTARA) - Democratic Party chief patron Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said his party had yet to decide on a definite vice presidential candidate who would become his running mate in the presidential race next July 8.

"We have not yet arrived at the stage of discussing the question of who will pair up with me," Yudhoyono said at his office here on Tuesday.
He said everything in this regard was still in a process while the efforts made so far were still in the framework of forming a coalition, including a meeting with Jusuf Kalla.
"So, it is not true if there are rumors (the Democratic Party has decided) that I will run with this figure.. or I agree with Mr Y, or SBY disagrees with Mr X. There are various rumors saying that I don't like figure A or figure B. These runors are not true, because the party is still discussing a coalition which will eventually discuss the matter," Yudhoyono said.
He said the Democratic Party was still exploring the possibility of cooperation with other political parties as well.
"Discussions on forming a coalition are still ongoing, and for this we need time. Each party, of course, has its own interests and hopes," Yudhoyono, who is also the incumbent president, said.
In connection with efforts to establish a coalition between the Democratic Party and the Golkar Party, he said that there was a desire on the two sides to set up a coalition with other parties.
"For a coalition, we share the same opinion that we in the coalition have to maintain togetherness both in the government or cabinet, and in the parliament or the House of Representatives (DPR)," he said.
Therefore, the Democratic Party was continuing to hold talks with other political parties who were prepared to form a coalition model but so far the matter was still in a process, he said.
"I know that Golkar will hold a national leadership meeting and the Democratic Party will also organize a national congress. Maybe, in the leadership meeting or in the national congress, a statement on a willingness to coalesce will arise," he said.