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Ruling camp may welcome Dems, PAN, but not go easy on them
The Democratic Party and PAN's possible move to jump ship has been welcomed by the ruling camp.
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Maneuvering: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (right) meets with the Democratic Party’s joint election command (Kogasma) chief Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono at the State Palace in Jakarta on Thusday. (Antara/Wahyu Putro A )
P
olitical bigwigs supporting incumbent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo may be getting ready to welcome the Democratic Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN) into the ruling coalition. That does not mean, however, that the two would find it easy to get strategic positions in the upcoming Cabinet.
The possibility of the Democrats and PAN joining the incumbent’s camp became the talk of the town after the President met with Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the son of Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), at Merdeka Palace on Thursday.
The meeting followed that of PAN chairman Zulkifli Hasan and Jokowi at the Palace some two weeks ago.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Golkar Party, National Awakening Party (PKB) and NasDem Party elites regarded Jokowi and Agus' meeting as a good opportunity to “strengthen the friendship" between the two camps.
However, PDI-P politician and daughter of party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, Puan Maharani, said all parties still need to sit together and talk before deciding anything.
“There are certain things that we have to consider first,” Puan said. "Many things."
Meanwhile, Golkar chairman Airlangga Hartarto said that welcoming the Democrats and PAN into the coalition was fully Jokowi’s prerogative.
