The party had previously backed Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto’s bid for the presidency, but has since moved increasingly closer to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, while simultaneously distancing itself from the opposition camp.

On Sunday, Rachland suggested that both the Prabowo and Jokowi coalitions be dissolved, to “reduce political tension in the grass roots.”

“Maintaining the coalitions means maintaining polarization at the grassroots level,” he posted on Twitter. “It means preserving enmity and maintaining the potential for civil conflict. The leaders should prioritize the safety of the nation.”

Democratic secretary-general Hinca Panjaitan has since downplayed the comments, saying that the party would remain in the Prabowo coalition at least until the election petition at the Constitutional Court was decided, but that has not stopped fellow coalition members from attacking the idea.

Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) central executive board chairman Mardani Ali Sera has said the PKS would stand by the Prabowo coalition and disagreed with Rachland’s reasoning.

“The idea of dispersing the coalitions in a bid to reduce political tension is unwise,” Mardani said in a statement on Monday. “Dissolving the coalitions would instead make it harder to make political decisions. We should just use [the coalitions] as a way to have a mature political attitude.”

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