Amien Rais Proposes Formation of 'Indonesia Raya' Coalition

Jakarta (Antara) - The National Mandate Party (PAN)'s Advisory Council chairman Amien Rais had proposed the formation of "Indonesia Raya" (Greater Indonesia) coalition, a combination of Islamic and nationalist parties, to resolve the nation's problems. "The Central Axis coalition is too narrow. I propose the terminology "Greater Indonesia Coalition" because the combination of Islam-based parties will not be able to solve the problems of this nation alone, so it needs the participation of a nationalist party," Amien Rais stated at the meeting of mass organization figures and leaders of Islam-based political parties here on Thursday. Amien, however, did not identify the nationalist party, which can be invited to join the Islam-based parties. He only hoped that the well-known people who attended the meeting of mass organization figures and leaders of Islam-based political parties did not imagine that the Islam-based parties can bear all the burdens of the nation. Meanwhile, the organizing committee chairman of the Islam-based parties' coalition, Bachtiar Nasir, pointed out that the meeting was aimed at forging a larger coalition of the Islam-based parties. Apart from that, the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) said it will be difficult for Islam-based parties to build a coalition because each of them had moved to forge a coalition axis with nationalist parties. "I think it will be difficult for Islamic parties to build a coalition because they had already communicated with the nationalist parties for a coalition axis," PKB's associate chairman Helmy Faishal Zaini said here last Tuesday. (*) Reporting by Rangga Pandu Asmara Jingga