TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party celebrated its 8th anniversary on Saturday, February 6, 2016 without leaders of political parties under the Red-and-White Coalition (KMP).
Based on Tempo’s observation, the only KMP leader attending the occasion was Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto accompanied by Gerindra secretary general Ahmad Muzani and Gerindra deputy chairman Fadli Zon.
After the event, Muzani said that Gerindra did not invite other KMP leaders since Prabowo wanted a simple and internal celebration.
“[The celebration of the party’s anniversary] was held as a reminder for our consolidation and attended by all of our cadres,” Muzani, who also serves as the Gerindra party faction at the House of Representatives, said on Saturday, February 6, 2016.
In an opening speech, Prabowo said that he did not invite other party leaders since it was not the party’s culture.
“It doesn’t mean that we want to be secluded. We just don’t want to brag about it,” Prabowo said.
However, leaders of Gerindra, Functional Group (Golkar), PKS and National Mandate Party (PAN) always attended KMP’s work meetings or anniversaries of KMP members. KMP leaders’ absence at Gerindra’s anniversary seemed to indicate that the Gerindra-led coalition was over.
Earlier, several members of the KMP, such as PAN and Golkar, had jumped ship to provide their supports for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration.
ANGELINA ANJAR SAWITRI
