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Megawati asks Jokowi to solidify govt coalition
Jakarta Post - November 22, 2016
The two had lunch hosted by the President after which they had a short discussion on the Palace veranda. It was only four days after Jokowi hosted Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto at the Palace, during which they also had lunch and discussions on the veranda.
Jokowi has recently strengthened his power base, with the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Golkar Party as the latest additions to his coalition.
But cracks in the coalition have appeared especially after three of its members, namely PAN, the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB), decided to take different paths when it came to the Jakarta gubernatorial election.
The national political landscape has become tense in the past weeks after Islamic groups mobilized a large-scale rally on Nov. 4 to demand the government prosecute Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who is supported by the PDI-P, for blasphemy.
The three parties, which have joined forces to support gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, backed the rally, prompting politicians, especially in Golkar, to question the parties' loyalty to Jokowi.
"I have actually said that it would be better if [those] already committed to supporting the government could also work together in the regional elections," Megawati said at the palace. "But, it is the right of the political parties to decide," the former president added.
Megawati later said that, in her recent meeting with Golkar chairman Setya Novanto, she spoke to him about the matter but Megawati stopped short of saying the composition of the coalition should therefore be changed.
Agus is the son of Democratic Party chairman and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has long had a fractious relationship with Megawati since the latter's presidency ended in 2004.
However, Jokowi's relationship with his predecessor Yudhoyono has also deteriorated after the latter accused the government of producing a false intelligence report about him masterminding the Nov. 4 rally. When asked if he would also meet with Yudhoyono, Jokowi said, "well, maybe later, we might arrange something".
The increased polarization during regional elections, Jokowi added, was "normal as long as there are no free riders, out of self-interest, posing threats to national stability and undermining pluralism".
"There were certain groups that took advantage of it [the rally]; there were political actors looking to benefit from the situation," the former Jakarta governor added.
Megawati echoed Jokowi, saying the Nov. 4 rally involved "people who were used by certain interests." Megawati also revealed that, in her meeting with the President, she asked Jokowi to call "a meeting of party leaders".
PAN politicians, however, insisted that those who suggested a coalition split and power struggles within the government coalition were just making the situation worse.
"Just because government parties are outside the 'Ahok coalition', it doesn't mean they are outside the government coalition," PAN deputy chairman Hanafi Rais, who took part in the rally along with his father, party patron Amien Rais, said.
Despite being pro-government, the PAN faction at the House of Representatives has held contradictory positions with the PDI-P, particularly regarding the election bill.
The PAN wants to keep the country's open-list proportional poll system as opposed to the PDI-P and Golkar, which want to change it to a semi-closed list system.
Similarly, PPP deputy secretary-general Achmad Baidowi claimed that the Ahok case was minor compared with the national interest. "In the rally, the PPP in fact helped the government to control the situation by bridging a dialog between the palace and the demonstrators," he said.
Following Jokowi's meetings with Prabowo, speculation was rife that the opposition Gerindra Party could soon join the government coalition. "I am ready to help the government at anytime," Prabowo said after his meeting with Jokowi at the palace.
Gerindra deputy chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad dismissed the speculation. "It's not true that Gerindra will join the ruling coalition. When we say we're ready to help the government, it doesn't mean we want to trade with it for certain positions in the government," he said.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/11/22/megawati-asks-jokowi-to-solidify-govt-coalition.html.
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