Democrat Party Should be Optimistic: Anies Baswedan

Jakarta (Antara) - Anies Baswedan, president of Jakarta's Paramadina University, who is also one of the Democrat Party's presidential candidates convention, said although PDIP was leading in quick count of legislative election votes, the Democrat Party should remain optimistic. "This situation had forced all political parties to coalesce to nominate a presidential candidate," Anies said through his cell phone here on Wednesday. The preliminary result of a quick vote count by two pollsters, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Cyrus Network, showed that the Democrat Party won 9.1 percent of votes cast in the legislative election. The ruling party's vote tally fell from 26.4 percent in the 2009 legislative election. Despite the drop, the Democrat Party was still ranked fifth in the election, in which 12 political parties participated. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) led the preliminary result of quick vote count with 18.6 percent, followed by the Golkar Party with 14.6 percent, the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party with 11.9 percent and the Nation's Awakening Party (PKB) with 9.8 percent. The National Mandate Party finished sixth with 7.9 percent, followed by the United Development Party (PPP) with 6.8 percent, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) with 6.7 percent, the National Democrat Party (Nasdem) with 6.5 percent, the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) with 5.5 percent, the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) with 1.6 percent and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) with 1.1 percent. Anies was optimistic that the Democrat party will be able to play a significant role, because it was the party with the most experience in managing a coalition. Several candidates will participate in the Democrat Party convention to determine the presidential candidate that the party will support in the presidential election on July 9. The candidates are Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Dahlan Iskan, former Army Chief General (retired) Pramono Edhie Wibowo, Chairman of Regional Representative Council (DPD) Irman Gusman, Paramadina University's Rector Anies Baswedan, former Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan, member of Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) Ali Masykur Musa and the Democrat party's lawmaker Hayono Isman. Other candidates are former Indonesian Military Commander Endriartono Sutarto, former Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal, North Sulawesi province's Governor Sinyo Haris Sarundajang and the current Chairman of the House of Representatives Marzuki Alie. (*) Reporting by Sella Panduarsa Gareta