TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Golkar politician Agung Laksono said that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will not consolidate with opposition party leader Prabowo Subianto for the 2019 Presidential Election.
“There is no possibility for both men to consolidate,” said Agung following the Golkar plenary meeting on Tuesday, April 17.
Agung’s statement was a direct reaction to the meeting took place between Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan - who is known to be Jokowi’s trusted member in the president’s working cabinet - and Gerindra Chairman Prabowo Subianto.
Read: Pollster: Economic Factor Main Reason for Replacing Jokowi
and: Luhut Meets Prabowo, Discuss Common National Interest
Experts assume that the meeting between the two men was to discuss a possible consolidation for the upcoming election.
Luhut was previously saying that his meeting with Prabowo was a routine that can take place every other week; “We meet almost once every week,” he said in an interview with Tempo at Incheon Airport, South Korea.
According to Luhut, they mainly talk about the general things that happened during their younger years. Despite both men having contrast minds and opposite political views, the minister maintained that it does not mean he and Prabowo end up in arguments.
Read: Survey: Jokowi, Gatot's Electability Rate Rise Prabowo`s Falls
“I know him well since we both have known each other since I was a Captain, and he was a Lieutenant. So please, don’t interpret it as if we are adversatives towards each other,” Minister Luhut reminded.
However, in the context of the 2019 presidential election, reports suggest that Prabowo has agreed to focus campaign efforts on programs and not on religious issues and defamation.
Muhammad Hendartyo
