The political parties that backed Jokowi in the presidential election may now have to make room for former allies of Jokowi’s challenger Prabowo Subianto, as the President has signaled to welcome them in a reconciliatory gesture after the polarizing election.

Prabowo’s coalition has officially broken up following the camp’s defeat at the Constitutional Court, but so far, only the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has asserted its commitment to remain in the opposition.

It was still unclear whether other Prabowo allies — the Gerindra Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party — would remain in opposition to Jokowi’s administration, especially as reports emerged that the three parties had been in negotiations to join the government.

NasDem, one of Jokowi’s supporting parties, expressed its objection on Tuesday, with party secretary-general Johnny G. Plate saying the parties in the losing coalition should be consistent and retain their position as opposition parties, especially after the hard-fought election battle that saw Jokowi’s rivals make false claims against his government.

“Why should [opposition parties] join us when they lost?” Johnny said, adding “Jokowi needs the solid and tested coalition that has been the same since the beginning, not a new one.”

“New members could be a negative factor for the strong coalition [Jokowi has] and could weaken us,” he said.

The parties’ main concern is, of course, a cutback in ministerial posts as a consequence of Jokowi’s intention to give opposing parties a stake in the ruling coalition.

United Development Party (PPP) secretary-general Arsul Sani said letting Prabowo allies join the camp was not easy, and he added that political parties in the incumbent’s coalition had responded negatively to the idea of welcoming the opposition parties. “What if a new [opposition-turned-ally] member later obtains ministerial posts considered ‘great’ or if the ministerial slots for original members of the coalition get reduced?” Arsul asked.

Jokowi’s reelection bid this year was initially backed by a coalition of nine parties, which included six established parties that won legislative seats in the 2014 election as well as three newcomers. The Crescent Star Party (PBB) joined the Jokowi coalition at the eleventh hour.

Political parties in the coalition have secured a combined 54.9 percent of the national vote in the legislative election, with NasDem coming in fifth with 9.05 percent of the vote and the PPP getting 4.52 percent, just enough to pass the electoral threshold of 4 percent.

Arsul said there had been a discussion among parties in the ruling coalition that the President should only accept one party if he really wanted to bring the opposition into the government — a signal that Jokowi might have to choose either Gerindra, the Democrats or PAN.

Prabowo-led Gerindra came second in the legislative race, securing 12.57 percent of the national vote, behind the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which won 19.33 percent.

Political bigwigs from the parties in Jokowi’s coalition have taken turns to meet with the President over the last two days, with Golkar chairman Airlangga Hartarto and leaders of the party’s regional executive board visiting Jokowi at Bogor Palace on Monday.

National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Muhaimin Iskandar visited Jokowi at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.

“[Jokowi] said there would be a discussion [on the Cabinet] around mid-July,” he said.

Jakarta-based Voxpol Center Research and Consulting executive director Pangi Syarwi Chaniago said Jokowi should not be too concerned about inviting Prabowo’s former supporters, since the ruling coalition dominated the House of Representatives.

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