PKS: Opposition Parties Should Learn from 2017 Jakarta Election

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) president Sohibul Iman said the opposition parties should learn a lesson from the Jakarta regional election in 2017 to win against Joko Widodo in the presidential race next year. At that time, PKS and Gerindra carried out Anies Baswedan - Sandiaga Uno and overcame the incumbent Basuki Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Syaiful Hidayat.

Sohibul pinned hope the 2019 presidential election would be run in two rounds. “So, Democratic party must create the third coalition as in Jakarta election,” Sohibul said on Monday, July 9. “And that in the second round, [the latter] then can support us.”

In Jakarta gubernatorial election 2017, Democratic party along with National Awakening Party (PKB) and National Mandate Party (PAN) supported Agus Harimurti-Sylviana Murni. However, the candidate obtained the least votes.

Ahok-Djarot received 42 percent of total votes thus the second round was inevitable. At the final, Anies-Sandiaga led the votes since AHY-Sylviana’s supporters turned back to the now Jakarta governor.

Sohibul said he had conveyed the idea to Democratic party deputy chairman Syarif Hasan when the two met days ago. However, Sohibul was reluctant to explain the Democratic party’s opinion.

“It will be one formula should from the beginning we oppose Pak Jokowi in 2019 Presidential Race. Hence certain parties whose aspirations may not be accommodated, unless a third coalition is formed,” he added.

Ahead of the registration of 2019 Presidential Election, in August beginning, many parties have not conducted political talks yet. Democratic party, PKB, and PAN have not decided its coalition yet. Meanwhile, PKS keep demanding Gerindra support Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and the former governor of West Java Ahmad Heryawan as the candidate pair.

SYAFIUL HADI