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SBY and Prabowo in the same ship since the beginning: Jokowi camp
Hasto Kristiyanto, one of the deputies of president-elect Joko "Jokowi" Widodoâs and vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla's transition team, said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his Democratic Party had been in the same boat as the Red-and-White Coalition since the beginning
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H
asto Kristiyanto, one of the deputies of president-electJoko "Jokowi" Widodo's and vice president-elect Jusuf Kalla'stransition team, said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and hisDemocratic Party had been in the same boat as the Red-and-White Coalition sincethe beginning.
"It has been proven that the Democratic Party was playing a scenario when its members at the House walked out of the plenary session on the regional election bill. The nomination of [Democratic Party lawmaker] Agus Hermanto by the Red-and-White coalition as one of the House [of Representatives] speakers confirmed that they have been in the same ship as the coalition since the beginning," Hasto said at the team's headquarters in Central Jakarta on Thursday.
He suggested that the Democratic Party wanted to maintain a "political transaction deal" with the coalition, while at the same time saving Yudhoyono's face.
During a House plenary session, last week, members of the Democratic Party, which at that time was still the largest in the House, walked out when the session reached a crucial vote.
As a result, the option to have regional leaders indirectly elected by regional councils won the most votes, resulting in a huge blow to Yudhoyono, who had previously pledged to maintain the direct regional elections, which had been in effect since 2005.
"The walk out was merely part of the scenario," Hasto said.
He claimed that Jokowi was not under pressure following the series of "political defeats" his camp had suffered in the House.
"It is now Yudhoyono who should be under pressure. His commitment to reform and democracy is now being tested. If he supported reform and democracy, he should have supported Jokowi-Kalla," Hasto said.(dic)
