RELATED VIDEO CNN's Maria Ressa explains what is involved in the agreement Windows Media 28K 80K

May 18, 1999
Web posted at: 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT)

In this story: Golkar expected to lose parliamentary majority Alternative coalition considered Habibie at the helm for nearly a year RELATED STORIES, SITES

JAKARTA (CNN) - Indonesia's three leading reformist parties agreed Tuesday to unite against unpopular Suharto successor President B.J. Habibie, virtually guaranteeing a new president and new government within months.

The pact unites the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P), National Mandate Party (PAN) and National Awakening Party (PKB) and appears to set up an unbeatable team against the ruling Golkar party ahead of the June 7 parliamentary election and a November presidential poll.

Campaigning for the election officially begins Wednesday.

Late Monday, the deal stalled when mercurial PDI-P leader Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of founding president Sukarno, called off the signing ceremony because she was too tired.

"I'm tired. I'm going home. There is no meeting," she told journalists after a four-hour launch for a book about herself.

But she secretly slipped away to sign the deal, which is a serious boost to her aspirations to follow her father and return to the presidential palace where she grew up, PKB officials said, showing a signed copy of the pact to reporters.

"We have reached an agreement to form a united front to face together those who do not wish for reforms and want to keep the status quo," the pact said.

PKB leader Abdurrahman Wahid, who also heads Indonesia's largest Muslim group, Nahdlatul Ulama, said: "We the three have agree ... to contest the election campaign as a united front to face anti-reform parties."

Golkar expected to lose parliamentary majority

Despite pledging the parties to work together against Golkar after election day, the agreement does not commit them to cooperate during the campaign. It also does not declare their presidential candidate.

But many predict the coalition could help Megawati become the next head of state.

PAN leader Amien Rais said before the signing that the parties could not choose who to put up against Habibie, Golkar's sole nominee, until the election results were in.

"To talk about concrete power-sharing is still too early," Rais told journalists, saying the coalition's presidential nominee would depend on which party won the most votes.

For the first time in its 35 year history, Golkar is expected to lose its parliamentary majority when the country's 125 million voters choose a new 500-member parliament.

A weekend poll in the respected Kompas daily shows the three parties in the new alliance have the support of about 41.5 percent of voters against Golkar's 14.3 percent.

While the reformist alliance would still need at least one more party to govern on those poll results, its lead over Golkar is nevertheless almost insurmountable if the coalition holds.

Alternative coalition considered

Golkar's chances of an alternative coalition appear to be fading at the same time, with Rais saying officials from the other top-five party, the Muslim-backed United Development Party (PPP), has told him it would never team with Golkar.

Polls show support for Sukarnoputri and Rais about 30 percent each, against Habibie's less than 10 percent. But the Kompas poll of 1,500 people showed PDI-P a runaway leader in party terms, with 24.1 percent against second-placed PPP's 16.7 percent and PAN's 12.8 percent -- putting Sukarnoputri well in front in the palace race.

Sukarnoputri would not comment publicly on the planned alliance. She largely refuses to talk to reporters and PDI-P recently formally apologized to journalists for her behavior.

Rais said Golkar's choice of Habibie -- tarnished by his links to the army-backed rule of Suharto -- was a major boost for the opposition parties.

"I thank God for this nomination," he said. "The most Golkar can get is about 12-15 percent. If Golkar gets only 15 percent I think people will think Golkar is through, is finished."

Habibie at the helm for nearly a year

Habibie came to power on May 21, 1998, after Suharto, was forced to resign amid riots and student protests.

Golkar had been used by Suharto, a retired army general, as his political vehicle to maintain his 32-year authoritarian rule.

Habibie has promised that the June 7 poll will be the most open in Indonesia since 1955.

Under Suharto only three officially sanctioned parties were allowed to contest elections and Golkar was always the winner.

This time 48 parties will take part. Analysts doubt that any single party will dominate, necessitating coalition building.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.