TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
PDI-P opens door to Dems
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said Saturday it was open to the possibility of forming an alliance with the ruling Democratic Party in the presidential race
Change Size
T
he Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said Saturday it was open to the possibility of forming an alliance with the ruling Democratic Party in the presidential race.
The PDI-P, which gained a modest victory in the April 9 legislative election and is now seeking additional support to return to the State Palace after being an opposition party for a decade, said that relations between the two parties had thawed.
'There is no decisive stumbling block that would hinder Pak SBY and Bu Mega from working together,' PDI-P deputy secretary-general Eriko Sotarduga said, referring to Dems chair Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and PDI-P chair Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Many predict slim odds for a Dems-PDI-P coalition due to strained relations between Megawati and Yudhoyono, her former minister who defeated her in two consecutive presidential elections.
Erico said the ruling party would play a decisive role in the upcoming presidential election, which will most likely be a two-horse race between the PDI-P's Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and the Gerindra Party's Prabowo Subianto. He added that he expected the ruling party to join whatever party had the biggest chance of winning.
The Democratic Party has not yet decided if it would move toward the creation of a third coalition, thus, nominating its own presidential candidate or side with either the PDI-P or Gerindra. Yudhoyono has said his party is ready to become the opposition should no coalition partners share the same vision about the future of the nation.
Executive chairman of the Democratic Party Syariefuddin Hasan said the party's coalition decision would depend on the results of the party's presidential convention.
'We have communicated [with other parties about the coalition] but we have yet to make a formal decision,' Syarief said without naming the parties. 'There are options.'
During a consolidation meeting at Yudhoyono's private residence in Cikeas, West Java, last month, some of the party's regional executives proposed that the party join the PDI-P's coalition and support Jokowi's presidential bid.
As of today, the PDI-P has secured the support of at least two parties: the NasDem Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB). The Gerindra Party, meanwhile, claimed to have reached agreements with the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).
With the PKB and NasDem, the PDI-P has collected enough electoral support to pass the presidential threshold to field Jokowi in the July race, but is now seeking more support to wield more control in the House of Representatives.
According to the official vote tally, the PDI-P garnered 18.95 percent of the vote, followed by the Golkar Party with 14.75 percent and Gerindra with 11.81 percent. It is estimated that PDI-P will gain 109 seats in the House, which is about 19 percent of the total seats. The Dems came fourth with 10.19 percent and is predicted to gain 61 seats in the House.
Pol-Tracking executive director Hanta Yuda said such a coalition was now the most likely scenario for the ruling party. 'There are several possibilities for the Democratic Party, including the PDI-P's coalition, to form its own coalition, or to team up with Gerindra or Golkar. The first is actually the most likely compared to the rest,' Hanta said.
'However, I predict the Democratic Party will use the coalition to secure cabinet seats rather than the vice presidential ticket.'
