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Prabowo, SBY to hold meeting
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Energetic: Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto (center) attends the campaign event of Jakarta gubernatorial candidate pair Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno at Banteng Square, Central Jakarta, on Jan. 5. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
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eaders of the two biggest opposition parties, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party and Prabowo Subianto of the Gerindra Party, are scheduled to meet.
The Democratic Party's deputy chairman Roy Suryo refused to give details except that the meeting of the two leaders was still being arranged.
“Both sides, via their respective private aides, are arranging the meeting. It will be held in the near future. Both Pak Yudhoyono and Pak Prabowo know what to expect from the meeting,” Roy said as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Previously, Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Anies Baswedan’s running mate, Sandiaga Uno, said that Prabowo, whose party is endorsing the Anies-Sandiaga pair in the gubernatorial election, requested a meeting with Yudhoyono to discuss several issues, including the Jakarta election.
Yudhoyono's eldest son, Agus Harimurti, lost in the first round of the election, garnering fewer votes than Anies-Sandi and Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Saiful Hidayat.
Ahead of the runoff election scheduled for April 19, Prabowo eyes support for the Anies-Sandi pair from Muslim parties under Yudhoyono’s camp, which include the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP).
While PAN is leaning toward supporting Anies, two other parties have not yet made any decision. Prabowo may also target support from the Democratic Party, which usually takes a stance as a balancing party. The Democratic Party advisory board deputy chairman, Agus Hermanto, said the meeting between Yudhoyono and Prabowo would be a friendly meeting to show that the country's political condition was relatively stable. (ebf)
