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Ruling coalition unimpressed by Gerindra's proposal
The ruling coalition, not Gerindra, should set the conditions for joining the government, a NasDem politician has said.
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Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto (left) and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo greet each other at Lebak Bulus MRT station in Jakarta on June 12. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
P
olitical parties in President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s coalition have expressed their disinterest in the Gerindra Party’s request to take charge of the food and energy sectors as a condition for joining the government.
The parties have said that they already had their own plans for food and energy security, which appear to be different to the programs Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto unveiled during the presidential campaign period.
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto revealed that the president and his allies had already discussed their ideas, saying that they had agreed to maintain their initial plans.
The coalition, therefore, expects that any other party wishing to join the coalition will not offer new ideas or concepts that would clash with Jokowi's programs.
“As we already have our own concepts, future cooperation within the next government should only be about [strengthening] Pancasila and the legislature," Hasto said, dismissing assumptions that cooperation between the opposing camps required terms and conditions.
Gerindra politicians said on Friday after a meeting between Prabowo and members of the party’s advisory board in Hambalang, West Java, that its chairman would raise his ideas for food and energy security at a meeting with Jokowi and PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, and would only move forward with joining the government if their proposals were accepted.
Read also: Gerindra names its price
