Prabowo to Develop Greater Indonesia Coalitio

Jakarta (Antara) - Great Indonesian Movement Party chief patron Prabowo Subianto indicated he will develop the Greater Indonesia coalition, initiated by the National Mandate Party politician Amien Rais in a meeting of well-known Islamic personalities here on Thursday. "We are doing all this (coalition with the United Development Party/PPP) in the context of developing the Greater Indonesia Coalition," Prabowo Subianto said when attending the event where the PPP announced its support of Prabowo's Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) for the upcoming July 9 presidential election here on Friday. Previously, 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 personalities and leaders of Islam-based political parties on Thursday. Prabowo said he would soon meet with Amien Rais regarding the great coalition. He will also continue his political maneuvers by lobbying with other political parties to build the great coalition, including meeting with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who is the chairman of the ruling Democratic Party (PD). "Our plan is like that (meeting other political parties), in the end we will meet with Yudhoyono. So far, we have established communication with almost all political parties, including the National Awakening Party (PKB), the PAN, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Democratic Party, the Golkar and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura)," Prabowo added. PPP General Chairman Surayadharma Ali also agreed to the establishment of the great coalition. Surayadharma Ali was convinced that Prabowo will be open to the possibility of coalescing with other parties. "If (what we create) is not a Great Indonesia coalition and we are only both (the PPP and the Gerindra in the coalition), it will mean a 'gabah' (unhulled rice) coalition," he said. (*)