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Post-election coalition talks may continue
Speculation is rife that the Democrats and PAN will jump ship to the ruling coalition.
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Incumbent President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (left) and challenger Prabowo Subianto. (Shutterstock/zombiu26)
W
ith the presidential election officially coming to an end, political parties may soon continue negotiations on post-election coalitions, which can determine whether or not incumbent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will be able to secure more support for his second term.
Political parties in Jokowi’s coalition, which have secured 54.9 percent of the national votes combined in the legislative election, have expressed their willingness to engage in coalition talks with opposition parties, though analysts said the process might not be a walk in the park.
The Democratic Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN), which are among the four parties backing presidential contender Prabowo Subianto, have hinted that they might depart from the coalition after the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced the final vote tally on Tuesday.
United Development Party (PPP) secretary-general Arsul Sani said the coalition was now waiting for opposition parties who wanted to jump ship to establish their stance.
Though Jokowi had previously engaged with the political bigwigs of PAN and the Democrats, Arsul said the President himself and the parties in the coalition had yet to discuss the possibility of joining hands with them.
“We are not in the position of offering the [opposition] to join us, but we are waiting for them to express their interest,” Arsul said on Tuesday. “We will make our stance after they convey their conditions — like a power-sharing mechanism.”
He acknowledged that Jokowi had secured enough political support from the coalition at the House of Representatives, especially with four parties set to control the House’s five leadership seats, leaving the Gerindra Party as the only opposition party in the shared leadership.
