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PDI-P opens door for coalition with other parties
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Gembong Warsono, chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) Jakarta selection team for gubernatorial candidates, speaks to journalists. He said on Wednesday that his party had opened the door for a coalition with other parties in the Jakarta gubernatorial election. (tribunnews.com/Valdy Arief)
T
he Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has invited other political parties to form a coalition with it for the 2017 gubernatorial election, although as the largest party in the city it can register its own candidate without needing to cooperate with other parties.
“Some candidates have sought nominations from several parties. We hope it will be an entrance for a coalition among political parties,” said the deputy chairman of the PDI-P’s Jakarta selection team for gubernatorial candidate Gembong Warsono in Jakarta on Wednesday, as reported by tribunnews.com.
The PDI-P has 28 seats in the 106-member Jakarta City Council, making it the only party that could propose its own candidate for the 2017 gubernatorial election.
Gembong said his party would cooperate with any other political parties, including the Gerindra Party, which is currently in an opposition group against the ruling party on the national level. “There is no problem in our communications with the Gerindra Party,” he added.
He, however, stressed that forming a coalition would be the right of the PDI-P central executive board, although the leaders in the regional chapters have important roles to supply information about the political situations in their respective regions.
The PDI-P is currently in the process of selecting from 34 gubernatorial hopefuls who have submitted proposals to the political party, including its own members, Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Boy Sadikin. Other figures include former justice and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendara and businessman Sandiaga Uno.
Gembong said there were 40 people who took application forms from the party, but only 32 returned them to the selection team. Meanwhile Djarot and Boy were proposed by the PDI-P's Jakarta chapter.
Ahok, who has declared himself to be an independent, is still the strongest candidate, although the latest survey showed his electability had declined after he was questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) as a witness regarding alleged irregularities in land acquisition by the Jakarta administration.
Kompas daily reported on Monday that Ahok’s electability had declined to 45.4 percent in April from 51.8 percent in March. The daily quoted the results of a survey conducted by the Public Opinion and Research Discussion Group (Kedai Kopi) that surveyed 400 respondents in 40 subdistricts across the capital from April 18 to 21. (bbn)
