TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - How a working coalition should be, as perceived by Joko Widodo, the presidential nominee of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), warrants our support. For the past 10 years, we witnessed the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono government's preoccupied with matters pertaining to 'allocation sharing' of the coalition parties. This government of 'power-sharing parties' failed to form an effective cabinet, let alone a people-oriented working cabinet.
Joko Widodo, who is popularly called Jokowi, will not find it easy to carry out his ambitions. By winning only 19 percent of the legislative votes-6 percent below the minimum limit required to field a presidential candidate-the PDI-P must work hard to find the right political partner. So far, only the National Democrat (NasDem) Party-with 6 percent of the votes-has agreed to join up with the PDI-P. If the PDI-P and NasDem can move forward together until the elections take place in July, this presidential ticket can be secured.
Should the two nationalist-oriented parties win the presidential race, both of them must still think about a government program that would be acceptable to a parliament rife with political opponents. They can only be 'tamed' if the PDI-P/NasDem coalition wins a clear majority in the upcoming presidential polls. If the pro-people government program is blocked in parliament, the supporters of this coalition will act to put pressure on parliament. Democracy does not ban protest so long as it does not break the law, even though the political situation might become chaotic. In fact, it might just be such a situation that can set in motion a people-oriented coalition.
There is still time for Jokowi to sell his idea of a working coalition to other parties. Those whose members are professionals are sure to be interested in joining. Together with the NasDem, PDI-P can easily coast towards the presidential elections. But in politics, anything can happen, even the possibility of a political party reneging on its promise just before registration day.
With the intention of building a working coalition, which would then become a working cabinet, the criteria for a PDI-P vice-presidential (VP) nominee becomes pivotal to the success of those goals. Such a VP would be expected to be able to complement the shortcomings of Jokowi, who is not the 'Mr. Perfect' who can do everything. Yes, he was good at governing the city of Solo. He also gained popularity when he led Jakarta, particularly when he went blusukan or unscheduled inspection visits to various areas in the city. He is a worker, a man of action, but he is not an ideas man.
Jokowi comes from the business world, sharply attuned to opportunities, fast in making decisions and very good at convincing people. He knows much about microeconomics, but little about macro issues. So far, he has not spoken much about international relations. So, who can be the vice president to make up for and balance these shortcomings?
This is the heaviest challenge yet faced by the PDI-P presidential candidate. Among the list of many VP nominees, none can simultaneously solve two problems faced by Jokowi: finding a person that can ensure electability and at the same time become a running mate that would not be a problem in the days to come.
Internal PDI-P surveys cite former Vice President Jusuf Kalla as the person most capable of strengthening Jokowi's electability. He is still regarded as having considerable influence in getting Golkar votes, particularly in eastern Indonesia. Kalla also understands the economy, as he demonstrated during Yudhoyono's first-term presidency. And Kalla's close relations with Islamic groups are bound to strengthen Jokowi, who has a nationalist background. On the other hand, Kalla is known to be unable to separate personal from state interests. He is also not a thinker. In this case, Jokowi and Kalla do not complement each other.
Besides Kalla, one party seemingly approaching the PDI-P is the National Awakening Party (PKB), which will field either Muhaimin Iskandar or Mahfud MD as its presidential nominees. The National Mandate Party (PAN) led by Hatta Rajasa as its presidential candidate seems to be opting to go with the Gerindra Party. These two VP candidates have their plus and minus points. Based on surveys, these names are still below the electability of a Jokowi-Kalla ticket.
The PDI-P and its presidential nominee must be clever at fighting the opposition. The determination to form a government that will not share ministerial posts must be integrated with the smart strategy of 'embrace and reject'. The spirit of seeking the right vice president to guarantee a victory in the presidential elections must go together with changing the criteria which can easily accommodate candidates having bad track records. If this working coalition concept can be 'sold' perhaps we are likely to see many other alternative vice-presidential nominees for PDI-P.
Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine