REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Constitutional Court recently issued a decision upholding the requirement for the nomination of presidential and vice presidential candidates.

The decision on the presidential threshold was made in response to an application for a judicial review of the law on presidential election, submitted by Professor Yusril Ihza Mahendra, former minister of law and human rights and also a presidential aspirant from the Moon and Star Party (PBB).

Due to the ruling, 12 national political parties that compete in the legislative elections on April 9 have to win a minimum of 25 percent of the national votes, or 20 percent of the parliamentary seats, to meet the threshold to nominate their own presidential and vice presidential candidates for the presidential election on July 9.

Article 9 of Law Number 42 of 2008 on presidential elections states that "the pair of presidential and vice presidential candidates is proposed by a political party or a group of political parties participating in the legislative elections that are able to meet the requirement of minimally securing 20 percent of parliamentary seats, or 25 percent of the total legitimate national votes."

In its recent survey, the Charta Politika Indonesia however found only three parties had a chance to receive a large number of votes, including PDIP, Golkar and Gerindra, respectively garnering 21.2 percent, 15.4 percent and 12.0 percent of all votes.

Based on that, parties will have to cooperate with each other if they wish to participate in the presidential election.

Some parties have already offered their readiness to cooperate, such as the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP). As an example, the party's chairman, Suryadharma Ali, even attended the campaign rally of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party.

Also, PPP Secretary General Romahurmuziy said on March 24 that the party is open to discussing a coalition with the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) for the presidential election on July 9.

"The PPP is open to all possibilities, including building political cooperation with Gerindra, as well as a coalition with the party," he stated.

Suryadharma Ali was also accompanied by another party figure, Djan Faridz, at the Gerindra campaign in Jakarta on March 23, attended by Gerindra's chief patron and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.

Suryadharma Ali even gave a speech at the rally, noting Gerindra's correct decision to choose Prabowo Subianto as its presidential candidate.

Gerindra Secretary General Ahmad Muzani has said that his party has been considering five names - all civilians, to pair with Prabowo Subianto in the presidential election.

"Around five names are being studied and considered. Mostly civilians. Prabowo has intensified communication with other parties," he said.

Gerindra, however, will name its vice presidential candidate to pair with Prabowo Subianto only after the upcoming parliamentary elections on April 9, 2014.

"The announcement of the party's vice presidential candidate will be made after April 9. By then, we will know our position and status after we learn how many votes we win," General Chairman of Gerindra Party Suhardi said on the sidelines of a campaign rally.

The electoral votes will decide whether Gerindra will choose a vice presidential candidate from within the party or the party will need to merge with other parties, he said.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) General Chairman Hatta Rajasa said in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, on March 23 that his party is open to form a coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) in the coming presidential election.

Hatta said "Relations between PAN and PDIP are fine. We continue to maintain communications, so the likelihood of both parties forming a coalition is quite open."

Asked if PDIP's presidential candidate Joko "Jokowi" Widodo would choose him as his running mate, Hatta refused to comment since he still had to wait for the result of the legislative election.

"Up till now, I am still the PAN presidential candidate," he said.

The National Awakening Party's (PKB) Chairman Muhaimin Iskandar, meanwhile, said in Aceh Besar on March 16 that a coalition with other political parties is an absolute requirement for the party to be able to nominate its own candidate for the presidential election.

"For the next government, PKB should try to earn 50 percent plus of the votes through a coalition because the opportunity to build a coalition is still wide open for PKB," he said.

With regard to Golkar Party, senior figure Akbar Tanjung said the party was still conducting in discussions with potential figures with regard to a coalition and still focused on winning the upcoming general elections.

He said he hoped Golkar could win 30 percent of the votes and secure 170 parliamentary seats so it would be able to nominate its presidential candidate by itself.

However, another senior politician from the party, Zainal Bintang, has suggested that Golkar merge with PDIP.

"I am certain Golkar will merge (with PDIP) because Golkar has never been in the opposition. Golkar can enter the coalition by proposing a vice presidential candidate," he said on March 16.

The ruling Democrat Party, meanwhile, said that it has opened its door for joining a coalition with any party, including PDIP.

The Democrat Party, according to the Charta Politika survey, has dropped in popularity to be among the group of middle-sized parties due to some of its party members' involvement in corruption cases.

"We have kept discussing it," the party's executive chairman, Sjarifuddin Hasan, said in Cianjur, West Java, on March 25.

However, a decision would be made only after the results of the legislative elections are known, he said.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) President Anis Matta also confirmed in Jakarta on March 23 that the party would merge with other parties.

"A coalition is a must because Indonesia is big and so it is impossible to manage it without coalitions, even if PKS has a 'boarding pass' to nominate its own candidate," he said.

A political observer from the Sugeng Sarjadi Syndicate, Ridho Imawan, has said PDIP would be careful in choosing parties to merge with.

"It is likely that it will only merge with parties that would assure the effectiveness of the government," he said.

Political observer Muhammad Qodari, however, said it would be difficult for PDIP to join with the Democrat Party or Gerindra because of their communication problems.

He said during a discussion on general elections that it would be difficult for the Democrat Party to merge with PDIP because of the poor relations between PDIP's general chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri and the Democrat Party Chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, dating back to before the elections in 2004.

He said it would also be difficult for PDIP to join with Gerindra Party after the party's chief patron and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto accused PDIP of breaking the Batu Tulis deal to support him as the presidential candidate for the 2014 election by choosing Jokowi as PDIP's candidate.

PDIP Secretary General Tjahjo Kumolo said on March 29 that he has met with Hatta Rajasa's team to discuss coalitions and presidential, as well as vice presidential, candidates.

"I have met with the teams of Hatta Rajasa, as well as other figures," he said when asked about PDIP's candidate, who will serve as Joko Widodo's running mate.

He said he had also met with the teams of Akbar Tanjung, the former general chairman of Golkar Party, as well as Jusuf Kalla, also the former general chairman of Golkar Party, and Chairul Tanjung, a business figure, along with others, to discuss coalition possibilities.

Among those he met with included the general chairman of the National Democrats Party (Nasdem), Surya Paloh; the secretary general of Golkar Party, Idrus Marham; the chairman of the Advisory Board of the Moon and Star Party (PBB), Yusril Ihza Mahendra; and the executive chairman of the Democrat Party, Syarif Hasan.

Tjahjo said he had discussed coalition possibilities but not in detail, adding that PDIP is still opening opportunities for communications with all political parties.

"Some of the teams have already made an offer, but we are still just considering them," he said.

Tjahjo noted that the results of the meeting with the teams of party leaders and figures would be used as input for discussion within his party.

The National Democrat Party (Nasdem) Chairman Surya Paloh added that his party was ready to merge with other parties but only if they share his party's vision and mission.

Additionally, the general chairman of the Indonesia Unity and Prosperous Party (PKPI), Sutiyoso, said his party would wait for the results of the legislative elections before deciding whether it would support candidates from other parties in the presidential election.

PBB Secretary General BM Wibowo said it would be ideal if Joko Widodo could pair with Yusril Ihza Mahendra in the presidential election.

What is known is that those parties, which finally do merge, will only be seen after the April 9 elections. (Yosep Hariyadi)

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