TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Dossy Iskandar, secretary general of the People’s Conscience (Hanura) party, said that a minister is not restricted from holding a position at a political party. In response to Puan Maharani’s double role issue, Dossy argued that Puan can bridge the political communication between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

“There is nothing wrong that the PDI-P as [Jokowi’s] supporting party has a liaison officer at the government,” Dossy told Tempo on Friday, April 10, 2015.

Dossy added that Puan would not betray her vow to focus on her job as the Human Development and Culture minister. Dossy guaranteed that Hanura would not force its cadres, who were apponted by Jokowi as ministers, to serve as party’s officials after Puan’s appointment as PDIP’s head of political and security division.

Jonni Plate, the deputy chairman of National Democratic (NasDem) party at the House of Representatives, echoed Dossy’s statement as saying that Jokowi has the authority to question Puan’s roles as a minister and a party official.

“Being a coordinating minister is not that tough. NasDem and other coalition parties did not see this as an issue,” Jonni said.

NasDem, Jonni added, would not ask three of its cadres, serving as Jokowi’s ministers, to return to the party.

During the PDI-P’s national congress in Bali on Friday, April 10, 2015, Megawati was unanimously elected as the party’s chairperson. Puan Maharani and Prananda Prabowo were appointed as the party’s heads of divisions.

INDRI MAULIDAR