SBY: Jokowi - Prabowo Meeting Must be Realized Soon

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the Democrat Party Susilo “SBY” Bambang Yudhoyono constantly presses for the realization of the meeting between President Jokowi and opposition’s Prabowo Subianto for the sake of the nation’s political climate.

“If the meeting cannot be realized in the near future, it does not mean that there won’t be a better tomorrow,” said the sixth Indonesian president in a recording played in an event at the Democrat Party headquarters in East Mega Kuningan in Jakarta yesterday.

“The meeting does not have to produce any sort of deal,” said SBY who asserts the importance of a meeting between the two presidential candidates that have equally large supporter base.

Read: Luhut on Jokowi-Prabowo Meeting: In Progress

This event was attended by SBY’s son and Democrat Party executive member Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and other party members.

Moreover, SBY believed Jokowi will respectfully view Prabowo Subianto’s Constitutional Court elections lawsuit.

There were two prior attempts to make the meeting a reality, firstly was by the Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan who recalled communicating with Prabowo in a phone call. He said the call was a direct order from President Jokowi.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla also had his share as peace broker as he reportedly met Prabowo in person on May 23, which was also claimed to be initiated by Jokowi.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI