PD to Announces Convention Winner on Thursday

Jakarta (Antara) - The ruling Democratic Party (PD) will announce the results of its presidential candidate convention next Thursday, PD Deputy Secretary General Ramadhan Pohan said here on Sunday. "The result of the convention will be announced on May 15. We will see later whether the figure we have selected could become a presidential or vice presidential candidate," Ramadhan said after a attending a discussion on "Post-Real Count: The Direction of Political parties" here on Sunday. He stated that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, after returning from Myanmar, would calculate the composition of coalition. PD is still open for coalition with the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra), People's Conscience Party (Hanura), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and National Mandate Party (PAN). "PD is still open for a coalition with Gerindra, Hanura, PKS and PAN. PD has strong relations with PAN and Golkar. Relations between Yudhoyono and Golkar have never broken though, in politics, there is always a dynamism. Ten years in coalition all members are happy and they are made convenient," Ramadhan stressed. He was referring to the PD experience in leading the coalition government in two terms over the past ten years. He expressed optimism that his party (PD) was still able to win the upcoming July 9 presidential elections. PD was still able to decide the coalition format before the deadline for political parties to decide on the coalition. "The PD's voter turn out still exceeds 10 percent and we are still able to win the presidential race," Ramadhan noted. He said that the quality of the 11 participants of the presidential convention was very strong. Gita Wiryawan, for example, who is a former trade minister, could become a presidential candidate for PKS if he passed the convention. "So, the option is still open. We are only now waiting for the momentum. In politics changes can take place within seconds," he added. (*)