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PDI-P, Gerindra agree not to support independent candidate
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Chairman of Gerindra Jakarta chapter M. Taufik (second right) and chairman of PDI-P Jakarta chapter Bambang Dwi Hartono (second left) speak to journalists at a joint press conference after a meeting of leaders of both parties at PDI-P’s Jakarta chapter headquarters on Thursday.
(tribunnews.com/Wahyu Aji)
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eaders of Gerindra Party’s Jakarta chapter on Thursday visited headquarters of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) for a closed-door meeting amid reports of a possible coalition forming prior to the Jakarta gubernatorial election in February 2017.
During the meeting, both parties agreed not to support an independent candidate in the 2017 gubernatorial election.
“We, as political parties, agree that we are responsible for supplying [potential] leaders, not supporting individuals,” said chairman of PDIP’s Jakarta chapter Bambang Dwi Hartono after the meeting as reported by tribunnews.com on Thursday.
The statement was in response to public speculation that both PDI-P and Gerindra might support incumbent Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who has declared himself an independent candidate for the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election.
“It is funny that political parties responsible for supplying leaders just ignore their responsibility,” he said.
The NasDem Party and Hanura Party have declared their support for Ahok, while the Golkar Party has hinted at also supporting the incumbent.
Meanwhile, chairman of Gerindra’s Jakarta chapter Mohamad Taufik said his party had a similar view to the PDI-P about the importance of strengthening the role of political parties in developing democracy in Indonesia.
“Improvement of the political-party system is not merely for the internal interests of political parties because parties have the responsibility to prepare better leaders for this country,” said Taufik.
Representatives of neither PDI-P nor Gerindra talked about a possible coalition, although previously politicians of both parties have hinted that they, the largest and second largest political parties, might jointly nominate a candidate for the gubernatorial election.
Holding 28 seats in the Jakarta City Council, PDI-P is the largest party presence there and the only political party able to nominate its own gubernatorial candidate without forming a coalition with other parties. Meanwhile, Gerindra needs to form a coalition with other parties to meet the threshold of 22 seats required to be able to nominate a gubernatorial candidate. (bbn).
