PDIP Sprays Bahlil's Permanent Coalition Proposal: Not Relevant And Not Necessary

Illustration of political parties (doc KPU)

JAKARTA - The chairman of the PDI-P (PDIP) DPP, Andreas Hugo Pareira, said that the proposal from the General Chair of the Golkar Party, Bahlil Lahadalia regarding the permanent coalition, was irrelevant if it was included in the law. The reason is, this proposal is only in the interest of the party elite.

Andreas assessed that Bahlil's idea has no basis in the presidential system adopted by Indonesia. Because according to him, a permanent coalition is political cooperation formed by two or more parties for a long period of time, not only for one election or one particular issue.

"This proposal is more for the individual interests of the elite and his party to be safe in the position in the government cabinet," Andreas told reporters, Thursday, December 11.

The deputy chairman of Commission XIII of the House of Representatives explained that the coalition is a well-known concept in the parliamentary system, where parties negotiated to build a common government platform before forming a majority government.

"To arrive at the formation of a coalition, parties negotiate to build a joint government platform," Andreas explained.

On the other hand, said Andreas, in the presidential system, the government platform is determined by the elected president. "The party supporting the president if you want to work together depends on the president, because the president has the prerogative to decide who to cooperate with and which party," he said.

Since the authority to form cooperation rests with the president, Andreas emphasized that the discourse of a permanent coalition should not be regulated in the Election Law.

"It is irrelevant to regulate the permanent coalition in the law, therefore the prerogative of the president. The PDI-P respects the prerogative of the president and has decided as a balancing party," said the PDIP legislator from the NTT electoral district.

As is known, the proposal of Golkar Chairman Bahlil Lahadalia regarding the permanent coalition was submitted directly to President Prabowo Subianto at the peak event of the 61st Anniversary of the Golkar Party, Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Friday, December 5.

On that occasion, Bahlil said the government needed stability strengthening.

"The Golkar Party views the President, that a strong government requires stability. Through this honorable pulpit, allow us to provide suggestions that a permanent coalition needs to be made," said Bahlil, Friday, December 5.

Bahlil emphasized that he did not want parties in the current government coalition to come in and out. According to him, the coalition that supports the Prabowo-Gibran government must be solid.

"Don't be an in-out coalition, don't be happy here and there, my heart is happy everywhere," said Bahlil.