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Golkar seen as key player in fluid coalition building
The situation remains fluid for the coalition-building process.
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Three in one: (From left) National Mandate Party (PAN) chair Zulkifli Hasan, Golkar Party chair Airlangga Hartarto and United Development Party (PPP) chair Suharso Monoarfa link arms after registering their parties’ joint participation in the 2024 elections with the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Jakarta on Aug. 10, 2022. The three parties are grouped under the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB). (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
The Golkar Party has emerged as a potential strategic ally for parties across the political divisions, with a crop of party leaders from both pro-government and opposition parties courting the nation’s grand old party for coalition building.
Last Friday, National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Muhaimin Iskandar and Golkar Party chairman Airlangga Hartarto opened the possibility of stitching a political bloc together, saying the prospect would be “a wide and huge opportunity” to build a strong big-tent alliance to contest in the 2024 general elections.
“We have spoken with the leaders of other [United Indonesia Coalition, KIB] members, all of which have welcomed [the idea] positively with open arms,” Airlangga told a press conference after he and Muhaimin had a morning stroll and breakfast meeting in Sentosa Senayan in South Jakarta.
‘Bridging interests’
The situation remains fluid for the coalition-building process. Golkar, the country’s second largest party, has formally formed KIB together with two smaller parties — the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP).
The coalition, however, has yet to nominate a presidential candidate, sparking speculations it would end up fielding one of the front-runners in various surveys: Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan or Gerindra Party leader Prabowo Subianto. None of them is a member of a KIB party.
