Observers Predict The Chance Of NasDem To Join KIB Is Greater Than Democrats, This Is The Reason

Airlangga Hartarto meets Surya Paloh at the NasDem Tower/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Political observer Albertus Dino believes that the formation of the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) has the potential to attract the Nasdem Party to join. According to him, Nasdem's chances of joining Golkar, PAN, and PPP are greater than those of Democrats.

"The possibility of Nasdem joining the United Indonesia Coalition is greater than that of Democrats joining the coalition," said Albertus in a statement, Tuesday, May 17.

He considered that there were a number of factors that made Nasdem more likely to join the United Indonesia Coalition.

First, there is a personal closeness factor between the General Chairperson of Nasdem Surya Paloh and the General Chairperson of the Golkar Party, Airlangga Hartarto. Surya Paloh and Airlangga's closeness was seen when the two met some time ago.

"I saw that the meeting between Surya Paloh and Airlangga Hartarto was very close. Nasdem accepted with open arms the presence of Golkar," said Albertus Dino.

The Executive Director of the Indonesian Sound Laboratory (LSI) added that a different condition was shown when Surya Paloh received a visit from the Chairman of the Democratic General Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY).

"I don't think it's as familiar as Airlangga from Golkar," he said.

The second factor is that both Nasdem and Golkar are political parties that support President Joko Widodo's government. This made it easier for Nasdem to join the KIB, which contained PAN and PPP, which also supported the government.

The third factor, said Albertus, was that Nasdem was more likely to be interested in joining KIB because of the figure of the chairman of Golkar, Airlangga Hartarto.

The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs is considered to be a figure who is able to unite people who have already been polarized after the 2019 presidential election.

Moreover, KIB was initiated to reduce polarization and unite the Indonesian people.

According to Albertus, the fourth factor that made Nasdem more likely to join KIB was that both Surya Paloh and most of Nasdem's cadres were diaspora from the Golkar Party. Nasdem was founded after Surya Paloh failed to become the general chairman of Golkar some time ago.

Albertus assessed that there was still chemistry between Nasdem cadres and the Golkar Party.

"It will be very interesting if Nasdem finally joins the United Indonesia Coalition," said Albertus Dino.