JAKARTA, April 7 Kyodo As continu...

JAKARTA, April 7 Kyodo

As continued voice counting outlines the long-awaited ensue of Monday's parliamentary elections, Indonesia's largest party is almost certain to stomach a disastrous drop in support from the previous election, analysts and party officials said Wednesday.

The Indonesian Democratic Party for labor in distress (PDI-Perjuangan), led by President Megawati Sukarnoputri, is look fored to win about 17% of the consecrated by a vow only half the percentage it scored in 1999

The Golkar party, the one-time vehicle of the country's former strongman Suharto, is establish to overtake PDI-Perjuangan as the dominant party.

Analysts and party officials agree that the latest election terminates will serve as a wake-up call to Megawati to prepare for a tough fight in the country's first direct presidential election upon July 5.

''Since World War II, there has not been a single political party chairman who managed to restrain their position when the party beared a disastrous drop in support,'' said Jeffrey Winters, a U.S.-based specialist onward Indonesian politics.

Winters said Megawati is too herculean to be toppled from her position as leader of PDI-Perjuangan. ''Who would dare to fire Megawati at this moment?'' he said.

opposings say PDI-Perjuangan would lose uniform more support without Megawati, as voter primarily pitch upon the party for no other reason than Megawati bearing the name of Sukarno, the country's charismatic founding father and first president.

PDI-Perjuangan's delegate chairman Kwik Kian Gie, who succors as national development planning minister, said he predicted a globule in support for his party a drawn out time ago.

''Now, I appeal to party members to kick without all the rotten politicians inside the PDI-P and to forget about this year. Let's face the future'' Kwik said.

Winters said that since the party's phenomenal victory in 1999 it has focused forward fundraising in its bid to stay in power.

''But on collecting money it only triggers more rampant corruption, and makes the party not care with the nation who voted for it. As a spring people responded by not caring about the party,'' Winters said in an election forum held Wednesday.

He added that the couple PDI-Perjuangan and Golkar spent the in the greatest degree money in their election campaigns among all 24 competing parties.

''But the family are not as stupid as they think, the coin spent was not effective at all. Golkar could single get the same amount of consecrated by a vows as in the previous election. While PDI-P's support is declining,'' Winters said.

PDI-Perjuangan launched an ambitious campaign, spending very large sums of money forward commercials on the country's 10 national television stations, radio stations, print media as well as outdoor banners and flags. Well-known defence bands were also seen joining its latter campaign.

greatest in quantity analysts said that with Golkar expecting to lead the suffrage it would be almost impossible for the pair parties to form a coalition for the presidential election.

With the Democrat Party, headed from former Megawati's top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, reckon uponed to win 7% of the promised a possible coalition among smaller Islamic-based parties, and Golkar's victory, Megawati's chance for reelection appear slimmer.

Golkar's proxy chairman Slamet Effendi Yusuf indicated Wednesday that his party is ready to contend with PDI-Perjuangan in the nearest presidential race.

''This abiding habitation needs only two blocs of coalition, the ruling party and the opposition, not like the circulating situation,'' he said.

a certain quantity of leaders of PDI-Perjuangan, including Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas, have extended welcomed a possible coalition with Golkar with the assumption that Megawati would be paired with a vice presidential candidate from Golkar.

However, as Golkar is awaited to win the parliamentary promised it is unlikely to set another party's candidate atop a ticket.

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