Golkar looks to continue coalition
Updated
Indonesia's once-mighty Golkar party is taking stock ahead of expected losses from this month's parliamentary election.
Golkar is tipped to win only 14 per cent of the vote, or 97 seats -- down from the 128 it won in 2004 while President Yudhoyono's Democrats are forecast to take 141 seats -- up from 57 last time. President Yudhoyono has used his position of strength to challenge potential coalition running mates in July's presidential election by setting five criteria for his next vice presidential candidate. The president says it is almost certain he will face former president Megawati Sukarnoputri in the election once again, but the choice of current vice president, Golkar's Jusuf Kalla, as his running mate, is now looking shaky.
Presenter: Joanna McCarthy
Speaker: Rully Chairul Azwar, Deputy Secretary General of Golkar
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JOANNA McCARTHY: We've heard that President Yudhoyono is expecting Megawati will be his most likely challenger for the presidency. He didn't mention Jusuf Kalla directly as a challenger. Is Golkar now highly unlikely to run its own presidential candidate?
RULLY CHAIRUL AZWAR: Yes, because the reality is we were not the winner, we are the second only. So I think the party only want to take as a vice president for the party. While we will make the best for our focus is for the state and for the people now. Maybe we will make for also the best for our party and we will join with what you call coalition with the party who can be best possibility for the winning for the presidential election for the next July.
JOANNA McCARTHY: So you do think that joining a coalition with the Democrats is the best option for Golkar at this stage?
RULLY CHAIRUL AZWAR: Yeah, we haven't decided yet, yeah. I just think the Parliament is the best for the people, yeah.
JOANNA McCARTHY: Is that your view, that the Democrats are the best as a coalition partner?
RULLY CHAIRUL AZWAR: Yeah, it is the most possibility because when we are joined with the opposition now this will be absolute majority in parliament so at next five years we cannot do the best for the people.
