Greater Indonesia Coalition only Aims at Power Sharing: PDIP

Depok, W Java (Antara) - The idea to form a Greater Indonesia Coalition only aims to have bargaining positions for earning ministerial posts in the next government, a PDIP cadre said. "This coalition is not aimed at serving the Islamic interest. It is a tactic raised by Amien Rais to increase bargaining positions," Fahmi Habcy, a young intellectual of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) said here on Friday. Advisory Council's Chief of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Amien Rais has raised the idea of forming the Greater Indonesia Coalition among the Islamic-based parties with nationalist parties. In forming the coalition, Islamic-based parties need to discuss it first internally. Fahmi said Indonesian Muslims were the holders of 85 percent of the nation's shares. The efforts to improve prosperity in Indonesia are equal to bid for improving the welfare of the Indonesian Muslims, and of course of the other religious adherents. "Thus, those involved in creating hardships for the Indonesian people also mean they are creating problems for the Indonesian Muslims," the PDIP young cadre said. He said that without the need to boast, all know coalition of political parties was needed to maintain the interest of Muslim community in the country. Fahmi viewed Amien Rais's reason to hold a meeting Thursday night to form a coalition as an effort to pat water on the tray but it splashed on his own face. (*)