TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice President Jusuf Kalla guaranteed that the National Mandate Party (PAN)’s decision to join the government coalition would not cause a conflict in the rival coalition.
“Oppositions no longer exists,” Kalla said on Thursday, September 3.
Kalla said that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo would discuss the compensation requested by PAN after joining the government coalition.
Earlier on Wednesday, PAN decided to jump ship from the Prabowo Subianto-led Red and White Coalition to the Great Indonesia Coalition. PAN chairman Zulkifly Hasan said that the decision to join the government coalition was to help the government to improve the country’s economic condition.
A day after the decision was announced, Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party chairman gathered party leaders under his coalition at Bakrie Tower. The meeting was attended by Functional Group (Golkar) chairman Aburizal Bakrie, Golkar secretary general Idrus Marham, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) secretary general Fahri Hamzah, PKS chairman Anis Matta, and PAN executives Zulkifli Hasan and Eddy Purnomo.
Prabowo ensured that PAN’s decision to join the government would not change the composition of the non-government coalition.
“PAN is still with us. They don’t jump ship to the Great Indonesia Coalition from the Red and White Coalition,” Prabowo said after the meeting on Thursday.
Prabowo admitted that he respected PAN’s decision, and that the decision was made for the sake of Indonesian people. The Red and White coalition, Prabowo added, would remain as the government opposition and provide correction, suggestion and input for the government.
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