It all began when about 15,000 supporters from government-aligned Golkar and the opposition Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) gathered at a landmark meeting on June 20 in Medan, Sumatra.

The event, hosted by Golkar for PDI-P, was the first time the parties' rankand-file members had ever met in an official setting.

Next Tuesday, PDI-P is set to return the favour with a similar gathering in Palembang, also in Sumatra.

The Medan meeting has already led to talk that the parties are paving the way for a joint bid at the presidency during the 2009 polls.

Fuelling the speculation were remarks made by senior PDI-P leader Taufik Kiemas, the husband of party leader and former president Megawati Sukarnoputri.

He had said in Medan: 'After we win the legislative elections, we can then decide on the presidency.

'The candidate can be from Golkar or PDI-P.'

But Golkar chairman and Indonesia's Vice-President Jusuf Kalla has since said there would be no more gathering between the two parties after next week's meeting - at least, for the time being.

Mr Jusuf, who missed the Medan meeting, was instrumental in getting Golkar to back the government, breaking away from an earlier opposition alliance with the PDI-P.

The party, which had backed the losing presidential ticket of Ms Megawati in the 2004 polls, switched sides only after Mr Jusuf became its chairman at the end of that year.

Downplaying growing talk of an alliance between the two parties, the Vice-President said of the meetings: 'It's like Lebaran (Muslim festival Aidilfitri), where people exchange visits.

'So it's nothing special.'

Senior Golkar leader Surya Paloh, who had hosted the Medan event, also said that the meeting was not about forming a coalition to contest the 2009 elections.

Rather, it was aimed at forging a partnership in Parliament so that Indonesia's legislative process would not be hamstrung by parliamentary entanglements, he said.

Indeed, the combined strength of Golkar's 128 seats and PDI-P's 109 seats in the 550-strong legislature should be able to overcome any meaningful opposition.

Despite politicians' attempts at downplaying the meetings, talk about them has not been quelled - even among members of the two parties.

Rumblings at the grassroots level indicate that not all the parties' supporters would accept such an alliance,

This, despite the fact that both parties did team up for, and won, last year's gubernatorial elections for Banten.

Mr Bambang Sadono, who heads Golkar's Central Java branch, told Tempo magazine: 'As 'parents', the parties' leadership may wish to become 'in-laws'. But this doesn't mean that their 'children' like each other.'

Most political watchers have also nearly ruled out the possibility of the grand marriage of convenience.

They say both parties have presidential ambitions, noting that Golkar only backed Ms Megawati's bid for the top post in 2004 after its own candidate was ousted.

Instead, observers say the recent developments highlight cracks within Golkar in the run-up to the 2009 polls.

Some believe Mr Surya planned the Medan meeting to embarrass Mr Jusuf who is seen as having failed to get President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to give more Cabinet seats to Golkar.

Others say Mr Jusuf masterminded the cosiness between Golkar and PDI-P - as a way of signalling to both his party members and Dr Yudhoyono to not discount him in the 2009 polls.

Two other groups, led by former chairman Akbar Tandjung and Parliamentary Speaker Agung Laksono, are thought to be trying to oust the Vice-President from his chairmanship.

Of late, Mr Akbar has become close to President Yudhoyono.

Observers said he could be priming himself for the Golkar leadership by positioning himself as a possible running mate of Dr Yudhoyono in the 2009 elections.

Noted political analyst Arbi Sanit: 'Jusuf Kalla became chairman because he was Vice-President.

'So Akbar could well be thinking the same - that is, if he feels that he can't be President.'

azhar@sph.com.sg