YUDHOYONO: PD, PDIP HAVE CHANCE TO COALESCE

Bogor, W Java, May 10 (ANTARA) - The Democratic Party (PD) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) have a wide chance to coalesce both in parliament and government in the future, chief of PD's advisory board Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said.

"I think our communication (with the PDIP) is still running. The road is quite open for the possibility of both sides working together to continue the national development," Yudhoyono said at a function marking the party's thanksgiving for its success in the legislative election here on Sunday night.

Yudhoyono said the PD continued to hold political communication with the PDIP executive board as part of efforts to reach a reconciliation.
"Reconciliatory efforts are being made. If God predestines us to work together to develop this nation, that will be good. We pray for God's guidance and directives to create a good coalition for the benefit of the people, the country, our history and future," he said.

He said the PD had intisified its efforts to form a good coalition with the PDIP and other political parties which share the same platform to build democracy and justice since the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced the final vote tally of the legislative elections last Saturday.

"If we all agree to it, we can coalesce both in government and parliament," he said.

Although the PD which grabs 20.85 percent of the total votes could come up with its own presidential and vice presidential candidates, the party would continue to coalesce with other parties, he said.

"It will be more proper and better for us to coalesce with other parties," he said.
The PD came up as the winner of the April 9, 2009 legislative elections by grabbing 21,703,137 votes, or 20.85 percent, the KPU said when announcing the results of its final counts on Saturday night.

The Golkar Party finished second with 15,037,757 votes or 14.45 percent, while the PDIP followed in the third place with 14,600,091 votes or 14.03 percent.

Speculations are arising that the PDIP and the PD are approaching each other to build a coalition, but leaders of both parties have denied them.

The speculations arose after Minister/State Secretary Hatta Rajasa visited PDIP leader Megawati Soekarnoputri last Wednesday, a move seen by many as an approach by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the PD`s chief patron, to cooperate with the PDIP.

"There is no special political deal between the PD and PDIP now," PD associate chairman Andi Mallarangeng said after attending a discussion on democracy last Thursday.

PDIP secretary general Pramono Anung Wibowo also made the same denial. "They only discussed matters which are more important to the interest of the people and the nation than merely of who would be presidential and vice presidential candidates in the upcoming July 8 2009 presidential race," Anung said.