Megawati in party deals to fight on

[mom cat]

Megawati in party deals to fight on
By Sian Powell, Jakarta correspondent and AFP
July 09, 2004
PARTY powerbrokers scrambled to begin coalition negotiations yesterday as it became increasingly certain President Megawati Sukarnoputri would do battle with her former chief security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in the second round of Indonesia's presidential election.

The chief of Ms Megawati's campaign team, Sutjipto, said yesterday his team's deal-making "with leaders of several parties" began even before round one of the election on Monday.

Ms Megawati's team saw the value of early deal-making, with pre-poll surveys showing Mr Yudhoyono leading in voter popularity, even though Ms Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle has a broader base than Mr Yudhoyono's tiny Democrat party.

By yesterday afternoon, the National Election Commission had counted 76 million votes, or more than half the ballots, and Mr Yudhoyono had won 33.8 per cent, Ms Megawati 26.1 per cent and former armed forces chief Wiranto 22.1 per cent.
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