The first two are closely aligned, and the leaders of the groups, Megawati and Gus Dur, are personal friends.
Yet during the dangerous Suharto years few people had resisted the regime's coercion more consistently and cleverly than the man his fellow Indonesians call Gus Dur (Gus is a term of respect, Dur is short for Abdurrahman).
Thus the trio of Megawati, Rais and Gus Dur may well decide the next president.
The first task for Mr Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, is to establish his democratic credentials.
ECONOMIST: The daunting task awaiting Indonesia��s new president
What has clearly been going on since Wahid, popularly known as Gus Dur, took office last October is consolidation.
"People are expecting change, and Habibie does not symbolize this, " says Alwi Shihab, a chairman of Gus Dur's National Awakening Party (PKB).
CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Indonesia: Taking It Right Down to the Wire
But the time for symbolism has come and gone, and Gus Dur has quickly set about putting his mark on government.
Whether the people he has surrounded himself with see their positions as a public trust or as a prize in a lottery will ultimately determine the character of Gus Dur's government - and his place in history.
"Gus Dur is very smart, " says political scientist Afan Gaffar.
But the relatively low profile may have been a blessing for Wahid (popularly known as Gus Dur), who did not fall into the trap of complacency as Megawati apparently did.
By the same token Golkar would likely support Gus Dur over the populist Megawati in the hopes of holding onto some measure of power in a new administration.
CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Indonesia: Taking It Right Down to the Wire
The three most prominent--Megawati, Gus Dur and Amien Rais--have yet to prove that they are capable of changing things for the better.
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