Indonesia's Indrawati seen as presidential contender

* New website highlights former fin min's reform credibility

* Seen as hint of possible presidential bid in 2014

* Lack of party support could hinder her ambitions: analyst

By Chris White

JAKARTA, Oct 7 (Reuters) - A new website promoting former Indonesian finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati's reformist credentials has sparked speculation that she may run for the presidency in the 2014 elections.

Political stability after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's re-election last year has helped spur a wave of investment in Indonesia, but a dearth of good candidates to replace him in 2014 has raised questions about the future.

Indrawati quit her ministerial post in May to take up a senior role at the World Bank, after a bruising battle with politicians and businessmen opposed to her role in the decision to bail out small lender Bank Century.

The fracas was seen as part of a broader war between those pushing market-friendly reforms and old guard tycoons who had prospered under a system tolerating vested interests.

The new website, www.srimulyani.net, features a picture of a smiling Indrawati alongside the words "I'll be back" -- a reference to a quote she gave in an interview shortly after her decision to quit -- but the website's founder said she was not formally pitching for the presidency.

"Let people speculate. There is no political agenda," said the founder, lawyer and anti-graft activist Todung Mulya Lubis.

"Right now we are talking of political values. At a later date there is an opportunity, and it is something to consider."

He said the former minister had been told about the site and did not object. She was not immediately available for comment. The country's resilient economic growth during the financial crisis, when Indrawati was finance minister, and the potential for further reforms, have led to hopes for an investment grade sovereign rating in coming years, a prospect drawing record foreign buying of Indonesian government bonds ID10YT=RR.

OBSTACLES

Any formal presidential bid by Indrawati is laced with difficulties. Her and unwillingness to bend the rules for influential people earned her many enemies.

The campaign against her was led by the Golkar party, which is a member of Yudhoyono's unwieldy coalition and is chaired by tycoon and leading Indrawati critic, Aburizal Bakrie.

Shortly after her departure, Bakrie was promoted to manager of the government coalition and is seen as having presidential ambitions himself.

And although she has popular support, Indrawati has no political party backing her and is kept busy by the World Bank, whereas her potential opponents in the 2014 presidential race can spend the next four years building alliances in Indonesia.

"A party can be created for her. It is possible for her to repeat the success of Yudhoyono,", said Wimar Witoelar, a close Indrawati ally and political analyst, referring to Yudhoyono's creation of the Democrat Party as a vehicle for his presidency.

But Kevin Evans, a Jakarta-based analyst with election monitoring firm Pemilu Asia, said a serious bid by Indrawati would need a broad political support base.

"Jakarta does not equal Indonesia," he said. (Additional reporting by Ranjani Pusposari; Editing by Sunanda Creagh and Jonathan Thatcher)