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Dems cozy up to government coalition
The Democrats, who officially backed Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto’s presidential bid in last month’s election, have looked increasingly detached from the opposition coalition since election day.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (right) talks to the Democratic Party’s joint election command head Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the eldest son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at Bogor Palace recently. Representing the Democrats, which was part of the coalition that backed challengers Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno, Agus congratulated Jokowi on winning the 2019 presidential election. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
T
he Democratic Party continued to make overtures to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s coalition over the Idul Fitri holiday, in an apparent attempt to ingratiate itself with the government camp.
The Dems, who officially backed Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto’s presidential bid in last month’s election, have looked increasingly detached from the opposition coalition since election day, and the last week have seemed to further demonstrate their intention to switch sides.
On June 3, Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his disapproval about comments Prabowo made regarding his recently deceased wife Kristiani “Ani” Herrawati’s political preferences, calling it “inappropriate.”
Later in the week, Yudhoyono’s eldest son and Democratic Party executive Agus Harimurti met with President Jokowi as well as Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri for an Idul Fitri greeting, while neglecting to visit Prabowo.
“[Meeting Jokowi for Idul Fitri] is a tradition that we have done,” Agus said in a statement on Wednesday. “Last year we went to Bogor Palace, and two years ago we came here [the State Palace.]”
During the meeting, Agus also thanked Jokowi for his speech at Ani’s funeral, calling it “touching and moving.”
Other Democratic executives have also made statements that seem to bring the party closer to its erstwhile opponents - party deputy secretaries-general Rachland Nashidik and Andi Arief both publicly praised Jokowi’s youngest son Kaesang Pangarep for his “humble” demeanor when expressing his condolences for Ani’s death, and Rachland has also called for the Prabowo coalition to be dissolved, despite an ongoing petition contesting the election results at the Constitutional Court.
