G

erindra Party patron Prabowo Subianto said he would not oppose a plan by the Golkar Party leadership to join the ruling coalition.

Prabowo said he had given freedom to all political parties under the Red-and-White Coalition, which backed his candidacy in the 2014 presidential election, to join any coalition they saw fit.

'€œLet me put it this way, I will not only allow Golkar. Even the PKS [Prosperous Justice Party] could also join, if this is in the people'€™s interests. I have no problems with this,'€ Prabowo told reporters on the sideline of the PKS national meeting in Depok, West Java,on Thursday.

Prabowo said he would allow even members of his Gerindra Party to join the government if it was for the greater good.

'€œI will not stand in the way, but I will not ask them to do that,'€ he said.

The camp of Aburizal Bakrie, who is currently in control of Golkar following a decision by the Law and Human Rights Ministry to revoke a decree that had approved the leadership of Agung Laksono, has made overtures to join the ruling coalition of President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo in recent weeks.

On Monday, Aburizal himself held a meeting with Jokowi, during which the Golkar chairman delivered his pledge to support the government.

'€œAs one of the recommendations from the national consolidation meeting we had, the Golkar Party has decided that we can support and can be in the same seat with the government,'€ Aburizal told reporters after the meeting.

Aburizal said the Golkar Party wanted to be part of a stronger government that could solve the country'€™s numerous problems.

'€œWe want the government to be able to realize its vision and mission and carry out steps to develop the nation to help our people,'€ Aburizal said.

Aburizal'€™s move followed that of National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Zulkifli Hasan, who had pledged the party'€™s support for Jokowi'€™s government in September.

Recently, the Islamic-based PKS has also expressed its interests in joining the ruling coalition, especially following the purge of central board members who had steered the party towards nominating Prabowo for the 2014 presidential election.

In November last year, newly elected PKS chairman Sohibul Iman pledged his party'€™s loyalty to the administration of Jokowi.

Sohibul made the statement shortly after being sworn in to replace Anis Matta, an ardent supporter of Prabowo.

On Monday, amid the ongoing power struggle within Golkar, the House of Representatives confirmed Ade Komarudin, a senior Golkar politician known for his good relations with the President, as the new House speaker.

The inauguration of Ade may signal consolidation within the House, as he is also considered to be loyal to Aburizal Bakrie.