TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who is also the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)’s presidential hopeful, is not the only presidential contender making contact with other parties to form a possible coalition. Jokowi’s rivals from the Golkar Party and the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra) are presently making similar moves.
“Gerindra is also in talks with other parties,” Gerindra chairman Suhardi told Tempo on Monday, April 14, 2014.
Suhardi said his party had met with the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Democrat Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN), and the United Development Party (PPP).
“We will announce the results to the public in around four days,” he said.
Suhardi said there was no need for his party’s presidential candidate, Prabowo Subianto, to appear excessively in the media like what Jokowi presently did as the former had long announced his presidential bid.
“While Jokowi needs to catch up [with Prabowo],” he said.
Golkar Party deputy secretary general Tantowi Yahya said his party was also in discussions with other parties to form a coalition. “But we don’t tell the media about this,” he said, adding that the party would announced the running mate of Aburizal Bakrie, who is both its chair and presidential contender.
“Aburizal has got the names of his potential running mates,” Tantowi said.
Tantowi added the party had met with top officials of all parties, but he refused to reveal their names. “This is about political ethics,” he said. “The sure thing is they represented their parties,” he said.
MUHAMMAD MUHYIDDIN