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Megawati invites PAN to join ruling coalition, PDI-P politician says
Zulkifli Hasan (JP/R
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Zulkifli Hasan (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama) (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
Zulkifli Hasan (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle politician Masinton Pasaribu has said that it was party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri who invited chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan to join the ruling coalition.
'Bu Mega has invited Zulkifli. There will be power sharing. It is not empty support,' said Masinton as quoted by kompas.com on Saturday.
After meeting with President Joko 'Jokowi Widodo on Wednesday, Zulkifli said that his party supported President Jokowi's government, but later, he clarified that his party had not left the Red and While Coalition (KMP) to join the Great Indonesia Coalition (KIH).
KMP consists of a group of political parties that supported losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, while KIH is a group of parties that supported Jokowi's presidential bid.
Masinton stressed that power sharing will be implemented by President Jokowi. 'However, the distribution [of power] is not our duty. It is the State Palace's,' he added.
According to Masinton, PAN will support Jokowi's programs through the House of Representatives because it was the base of party support for the government.
Meanwhile, PAN politician Muhammad Najib said the main objective of his party's support for the government was not power sharing, but that PAN saw that the government really needed support from more parties so that it could implement its programs. 'We do not just think about power sharing, but also responsibility sharing,' he said.
Meanwhile, Bambang Soesaryo of the Golkar Party, a member of Red and While Coalition, said that PAN joined the government because the party was promised two ministerial positions in the government.
'The offer of ministerial posts from the President could happen anytime both at the State Palace or Bogor Presidential Place,' he said in a discussion, adding that 'Finally, PAN could be persuaded with an offer of two ministerial posts.'
He said that the ministerial posts were also offered to Golkar Party, the Prosperous Justice Party and Gerindra Party. (bbn)(++++)
