TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party may play the role of a critical coalition when joining the Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Ma'ruf Amin administration to affect the government's policies for the nation’s benefit, a political analyst said. However, if Gerindra decided to stay within the government, the functioning of the opposition in the House of Representatives (DPR) would be weakened, the Nation State Institute (NSI)-Indonesia political analyst, Yandi Hermawandi, said here Wednesday.

"Gerindra is capable of implementing a critical coalition mechanism through which Prabowo's ideas and perspectives that he had conveyed during his presidential campaign, such as opposing import and foreign debt policies, can be executed," he said.

Therefore, Gerindra's presence inside the Jokowi-Amin administration would ensure that the government's policies are implemented in the people’s interest, he said.

Meetings that Prabowo Subianto had with incumbent President Jokowi and key figures of his coalition over the past two weeks had hinted that Gerindra wanted to join the government, Hermawandi argued.

However, Gerindra Secretary General Ahmad Muzani hinted earlier that Subianto never expressed the inclination to join the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin coalition. Their final stance would be decided following the party meeting.

On October 11, Prabowo Subianto had held a meeting with President Jokowi at the Merdeka Palace during which they shared a common perspective of Indonesia's dire need for security and political stability.

On October 13, Prabowo met with Surya Paloh, and on October 14 with the National Awakening Party (PKB) leader, Muhaimin Iskandar.

Nasdem and PKB are members of the Jokowi-Amin coalition.

Along with the Golkar Party, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), and several other minor parties, Nasdem and PKB demonstrated their unwavering support for the Jokowi-Amin camp during and after the campaign.

ANTARA