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.
Opposition coalition no longer solid: PKS politician
Gerindra Party chief patron Prabowo Subianto speaks after registering his presidential candidacy at the General Elections Commission (KPU) in May, 2014
Change Size
Gerindra Party chief patron Prabowo Subianto speaks after registering his presidential candidacy at the General Elections Commission (KPU) in May, 2014. (JP/Hasyim Widhiarto) (KPU) in May, 2014. (JP/Hasyim Widhiarto)
G
span class="inline inline-center">Gerindra Party chief patron Prabowo Subianto speaks after registering his presidential candidacy at the General Elections Commission (KPU) in May, 2014. (JP/Hasyim Widhiarto)
The members of the opposition parties grouped in the Red-and-White Coalition (KMP) are no longer solid, following the wish of the National Mandate Party (PAN) to join the ruling coalition to get ministerial posts in President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's government, according to a politician of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).
Fahri Hamzah, who is also House of Representatives deputy speaker, said on Saturday that the PKS' stance during the recent hearings of the House's ethics council to probe into an alleged violation of ethical codes by then House speaker Setya Novanto also showed its different stance from other KMP members.
'PAN has announced its decision to join the government, while the PKS and the Democratic Party had supported the stance of the ruling coalition in the recent council hearing,' said Fahri in Jakarta as reported by tribunnews.com.
According to Fahri, the remaining solid KMP members are the Gerindra Party, the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP).
Initially, the KMP consisted of five political parties: Gerindra, PAN, the PPP, Golkar and the PKS. Those parties supported Prabowo Subianto during the presidential election and they established an opposition coalition in the House of Representatives. Because of its solidity, they managed to dominate the House's leadership positions.
But later, PAN openly announced its wish to join the ruling collation known as the Great Indonesia Coalition (KIH), whose members include the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the NasDem Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Hanura Party. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party had decided not to join either the KIH or the KMP.
According that Fahri, 2015 was a year of political maneuvering to weaken the KMP, which was marred by leadership schisms in Golkar and the PPP caused partly by government intervention, and it was a year that ended with the downfall of the House speaker.
However, he believed that the KMP would still exist and remain an important political group to balance the government's executive power. As well, the leadership within the KMP could be convinced that maintaining its position would strengthen their stance in the elections in 2019.
He believed that currently the popularity of Prabowo was higher than that of President Jokowi. (bbn)
