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Potential inclusion of PKS in Prabowo’s ruling coalition prompts disagreement
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Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) members and supporters join a leisurely road race event on April 15, 2018, at Jakarta City Hall as part of the party’s 20th anniversary celebration. (Courtesy of/PKSFoto Jakarta)
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disagreement has emerged in Prabowo Subianto’s coalition after a member objected to the potential inclusion of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), a mid-size party in the legislature with a loyal supporter base, in the president-elect's incoming government.
Since his victory was upheld by the Constitutional Court last month, Prabowo has been shifting his focus to joining forces with political parties from rival camps in a bid to command a majority in the House of Representatives, which could help him accelerate his legislative agenda and form a stable government.
With four parties in the legislature — Prabowo’s own Gerindra Party, the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party — already in his soon-to-be ruling coalition, the incoming president last week welcomed two new additions into his fold, the NasDem Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Both NasDem and the PKB were part of the three-way electoral alliance backing losing presidential candidate Anies Baswedan.
The PKS, the other member of pro-Anies camp, appeared intent on following in the footsteps of its former colleagues, hinting last week at its willingness to support Prabowo’s incoming government. The Muslim-based party spent the past decade as an opposition party to outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
“We are ready to prepare our members to be better, more positive and more professional in the hopes of contributing more [to this country],” PKS secretary-general Aboe Bakar Al Habsyi told the press on Saturday.
The PKS invited Prabowo and his Gerindra members to a post-Idul Fitri gathering at its headquarters in South Jakarta on Saturday, but none of them showed up.
