Democrat Party exploring coalition with Golkar

Chairman of the board of patrons of the Democratic Party, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, had a phone conversation with Golkar Party Chairman Jusuf Kalla on Sunday night to explore possible continuation of their coalition.

"Yudhoyono and Kalla held talks in a political communication towards forming a coalition," Presidential Spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said at Yudhoyono`s Puri Cikeas residence Sunday night.

He said that Yudhoyono also had a phone conversation with the chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Muhaimin Iskandar. The phone contact with Muhaimin was also in the context of forming a coalition.

On the occasion, Andi also explained that the Democratic Party was a friend of all political parties. It had the commitment to coalesce with all political parties.

"There is of course an exception for political parties which have since the beginning refused to coalesce with the Democratic Party. A coalition should not be explored with a clap of one hand only," Andi said.

On Thursday last week a legislative election was held for the 2009 - 2014 period with 38 political parties vying for 560 seats in the House of Representatives.

A quick count by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) indicated that the Democratic Party won 20.48 percent in the first place of the votes followed by PDI-P with 14.33 percent and Golkar Party with 13.95 percent in the second and third places respectively.

A presidential election will follow on July 8, 2009.