The leaders of the Golkar Party and the National Awakening Party, with their parties currently committed to different electoral partnerships, have asserted their shared role in driving forward delicate negotiations to stitch together a “grand alliance” of pro-government parties to potentially back current election frontrunner Prabowo Subianto and an as-yet undeclared running mate for the 2024 race, with an eye to securing a quick single-round election win.

Golkar chairman Airlangga Hartarto and PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar came to the agreement at an upmarket restaurant in a leafy cul-de-sac in Senayan, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, appearing to reaffirm their wish to carry over the big-tent ruling coalition beyond 2024 amid complications in alliance-building negotiations.

Pro-government Golkar previously struck a “headless” partnership with the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) as the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB), while the PKB is the sole ally of Gerindra in the Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition (KKIR). These parties make up the current ruling coalition, which also includes the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the NasDem Party.

Speaking to reporters after a 30-minute meeting between the leadership roster of the two parties, Airlangga and Muhaimin proclaimed their parties to be the core team in realizing the proposal for a “grand alliance” to eventually back Gerindra’s Prabowo as part of a winning ticket.

“The KIB and KKIR have spoken at length [and] we have decided that the [grand coalition] needs a core team as its driving force. As such, today we are pushing for Golkar and the PKB to become the core of the alliance,” Airlangga said on Wednesday.

Airlangga claims that the KIB, which analysts had pegged as the coordinating economic minister’s political vehicle to run in the upcoming race, remains intact despite the PPP recently announcing that it would back the PDI-P’s nomination of Ganjar Pranowo as presidential candidate, effectively renegotiating the constellation of electoral alliances.

“Last week I gathered with KIB members and we remain solid partners, [Golkar and the PKB] will continue to move in tandem and communicate with other parties so that they can be included in the grand alliance,” he added.

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