The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is reaching out to both pro-government and opposition parties in its attempt to create a grand alliance to help its presidential nominee, Ganjar Pranowo, win the election in a single round. 

PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri is set to have a closed-door dialogue with the chairs of the pro-government Golkar Party and the National Awakening Party (PKB), after the ruling party’s senior members held preliminary talks with their counterparts in recent weeks, PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said.

“There will be an [upcoming] meeting. Last week I met with Pak Muhaimin Iskandar and Pak Airlangga Hartarto. We will thus arrange a closed-door meeting with Ibu Megawati first,” Hasto said over the weekend.

Both Golkar and the PKB have confirmed the plan, with Airlangga and Muhaimin saying that they were waiting for the right time to have a sit-down with the PDI-P chairwoman. “Talks [about having a meeting] have happened, the date still needs to be confirmed," Airlangga said on Monday.

The meeting came as a surprise as both parties have hinted their resistance to working with the PDI-P, with the PKB declaring that it intended to make sure three presidential candidates will take part in the upcoming elections, and Golkar warning the PDI-P not to take over the bloc if it wished to join the so-called “grand alliance”.

The PKB currently makes up half of the Great Indonesia Awakening Coalition (KKIR) with the Gerindra Party, but Muhaimin is confident that Golkar will soon be joining the fold. Golkar, meanwhile, is currently the de facto leader of the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) with the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP). The fate of their alliance is in doubt, however, as the PPP has endorsed Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo of the PDI-P.

Both Golkar and the PKB came to an agreement to drive forward the delicate negotiation to stitch together a so-called "grand alliance" of pro-government parties to potentially back the KKIR’s presidential nominee, Prabowo Subianto, as both parties are at loggerheads over who should be Prabowo’s running mate.

PAN chairman Zulkifli Hassan, a close ally of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, has previously claimed that the formation of the grand alliance was “under the command [and] orchestration of [Pak] Jokowi and he was ready to do anything, going here and there to knit the alliance together, so a solid front of the ‘middle way’ can become a reality.”

The plan came after what appeared to be a reconciliation between President Jokowi and Megawati during the party’s national working meeting (Rakernas) last week, amid rumors of growing tensions between the two influential figures within the PDI-P. Jokowi is believed to have felt blindsided by Megawati’s surprise decision to nominate Ganjar in April, and shifted his support from Ganjar to Prabowo.

During the Rakernas, the PDI-P named Airlangga, Muhaimin and opposition Democratic Party leader Agus Harimuriti Yudhoyono as potential running mates for Ganjar, along with other popular names on public opinion polls and party chairs who have been vying to fill the vice presidential slot in the upcoming race. 

Other names joining the list include Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud M.D., State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno and Golkar member Ridwan Kamil, who is also the governor of West Java. 

After the planned meeting was disclosed, PDI-P executive Puan Maharani, who leads her party’s efforts to win the upcoming elections, and Ganjar met with President Jokowi separately on Tuesday, with the Central Java governor admitting that recent meetings between political parties were discussed.

"He said earlier, [meetings among political parties] are good for democracy in Indonesia.  There are always political discussions when meeting with Pak Jokowi," Ganjar said after the meeting.

Agung Baskoro, analyst of Trias Politika Strategis, noted the PDI-P’s shifting strategy could be aimed at making sure the upcoming presidential elections did not extend into a runoff in which many opinion polls said Prabowo would win over Ganjar.

“It is very possible that these extreme maneuvers by the PDI-P are being carried out so that the grand alliance, which was originally centered around Prabowo, could be taken over by Megawati,” Agung told The Jakarta Post, adding that he remained doubtful that a “grand alliance” could materialize as Prabowo has been firmed on running as a presidential candidate.

“The PDI-P’s willingness to reach out to the Democrats also showed that there was a problem in Ganjar’s electability, which has been outpaced by Prabowo, as they started to explore ways to gain another support base,” Agung said. (ahw)

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