REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The deputy general chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Dradjad Wibowo, said that four political parties had been involved in efforts to bring together the "Indonesia Raya" (Greater Indonesia) coalition. Parties have to partner with other political parties to meet the presidential threshold, 

"There are four parties that have been intensively involved in building the Indonesia Raya coalition," he said during a discussion held by Sindo Trijaya radio station at Warung Daun restaurant in Cikini, Central Jakarta, on Saturday.

The Indonesia Raya coalition idea was begun by PAN senior figure Amien Rais at a meeting of Islamic figures in Cikini on April 17. Rais was the creator of the Central Axis of Islamic parties during the presidential election in 2009 that successfully elected Islamic figure Abdurrahman Wahid to the presidency.

"The Central Axis coalition is too narrow. I propose the name "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 said, when he raised the idea at the meeting.

Dradjad, meanwhile, declined to reveal the names of the four parties that had been involved in the efforts to build the Indonesia Raya coalition, saying he would not like to bypass PAN general chairman, Hatta Rajasa. However, he stated that if the coalition could be established, it would become a great power.

When asked if the coalition was related to the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), he declined to confirm or deny it.

"You'd better interpret it yourselves," he said.

Dradjad added that the idea of Indonesia Raya coalition was raised in view of the country's diversity in terms of ethnic groups, tribes, languages and religions, so it could not be controlled by only one group.

"It is impossible for a 'Superman' to come who will be able to build Indonesia by himself without involving other people. That is why the idea of merging Islamic parties with national parties has emerged," he said.

PAN associate chairman Epyardi Asda, who was present at the event, predicted that in time parties would narrow into the Indonesia Raya coalition, as Rais envisaged. He even assured those present that the coalition would lead in supporting Gerindra's presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto in the presidential election on July 9.

"As a politician, I sense four big political parties would join Prabowo," he said.

No single party won enough votes in the recent legislative elections to pass the presidential threshold set at 25 percent of the votes.

The winner of the elections, the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), only received some 19 percent of the votes, according to unofficial quick counts, followed by Golkar Party with about 15 percent of votes and Gerindra with around 11 percent of the votes.

One of the five Islamic parties, the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), won around nine percent, while the National Mandate Party (PAN) collected seven percent, the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) counted around six percent and the Moon and Star Party (PBB) around 1.5 percent. 

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