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s the Red-and-White Coalition'€™s member parties inch closer to president-elect Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, the coalition'€™s initiator '€” the Gerindra Party '€” has said the parties are free to leave the camp.

Gerindra executive Desmond Junaidi Mahesa said on Saturday that his party would hold no grudges should any member parties leave the coalition, which was built as a political vessel to nominate Gerindra'€™s chief patron Prabowo Subianto.

'€œIf there are new deals [happening between Red-and-White Coalition members and Jokowi'€™s coalition members], then go ahead,'€ he told The Jakarta Post. '€œIt won'€™t be a problem for Gerindra.'€

Two members of the coalition, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP), attended on Friday the national assembly of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which leads Jokowi'€™s Gotong Royong Coalition, in Semarang.

The presence of the two parties'€™ representatives was hailed by senior members of the PDI-P, which has been under constant pressure of late from the Red-and-White Coalition at the House of Representatives. Outweighed in terms of numbers, Jokowi'€™s coalition has been trumped in the deliberation of the Legislative Institution Law (MD3), which gives a slimmer chance for the PDI-P, the winner in the 2014 legislative election, to secure House leadership.

The Red-and-White Coalition has also rallied against direct elections in the legislation of the elections for regional head (Pilkada) bill, once again cornering the Gotong Royong Coalition, making it apparent that despite securing the trust of voters, Jokowi and his supporting parties will face an uphill battle to pass their policies.

Jokowi, who has also been struggling to woo more parties to his coalition, is believed to be considering PAN'€™s Drajad Wibowo and PPP executive and Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin to fill social-affairs ministerial seats before the Semarang assembly.

PDI-P chief Megawati Soekar-noputri, however, gave a cooler welcome to the two parties on Friday. She said that negotiations over Cabinet slots with the parties were unlikely.

Desmond claimed that Gerindra would have no qualms even if only one other party remained in its coalition, citing the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) as the party most likely to remain loyal until the end.

'€œWe should be grateful that we still have friends [in the PKS],'€ Desmond said.

Media reported on Saturday that Jokowi was opening up the opportunity for the PPP and PAN to propose members for his Cabinet, as he said he believed the two parties would join his administration following their attendance at the PDI-P meeting.

'€œSuch a presence is a signal; such a presence is an indication. Put it in a percentage; it is about 80 percent,'€ Jokowi said as quoted by kompas.com.

However, he later added that he would have the final say and may only consider candidates if they matched the requirements being drafted by his transition team, rejecting speculation that he might trade ministerial seats for political support.

'€œPlease do make proposals regarding the names of ministers. But remember, the decision remains the prerogative of the president.'€

Golkar Party executive Fadel Muhammad, also a former maritime affairs and fisheries minister, insisted that the Red-and-White Coalition remained solid amid the recent political maneuverings.

'€œThose are all political dynamics; those are all processes that will make our democracy better,'€ Fadel said. '€œWe are not worried; Golkar is staying with the Red-and-White Coalition.'€

Another Golkar executive, Agung Laksono, said that Golkar remains in the coalition as it is the coordinator, although he added that he was more open-minded about the fate of the coalition.

Following up on PAN'€™s presence at the PDI-P assembly, PAN central executive board head Viva Yoga Mauladi said that he was not in a position to answer questions about whether the party was mulling jumping ship as it would be the decision of party chairman Hatta Rajasa, who ran with Prabowo in the presidential election against Jokowi.

He also said there was nothing special about attending the PDI-P meeting. '€œIt was not the first time PAN attended a PDI-P event,'€ he said. '€œDuring the PDI-P national congress in Bali in 2011, I was there at the opening ceremony.'€

In Semarang on Saturday, Megawati reiterated the PDI-P'€™s plan to fight for House leadership.

She said that as the winner of the legislative election, the PDI-P deserved the post. '€œ[Otherwise] the people will see the victory [of the PDI-P] as a false victory,'€ Megawati added.