(JakGlobe) SBY: Democrat Party is "non-aligned movement", not in KIH & KMP

12/12/2018

Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said his Democratic Party was not leaving the opposition Red-White Coalition, despite claiming that it was never a member of the bloc in the first place.

“The Democratic Party, as you all know, is not a part of the KIH nor the KMP,” he said referring to the pro-government Awesome Indonesia Coalition and the rival Red-White Coalition.

“Just like in the Cold War. We had the Western bloc and the Eastern bloc. Then there was the Non-Aligned Movement.”

Yudhoyono, who gave a public lecture at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Tangerang, Banten, on Wednesday morning was responding to speculation that his party was mulling on joining the Awesome Indonesia Coalition after a personal meeting with his successor, President Joko Widodo on Monday.

The Democratic Party chairman said the meeting was to secure the KIH’s support for an emergency regulation in lieu of law, or Perppu, to replace the so-called regional elections law, which eliminates direct elections for governors, district heads and mayors.

Instead, the now defunct law provided local legislatures the authority to elect their respective regional leaders.

The Perppu, which Yudhoyono issued in late October during his final days in office, is effective for just 90 days and expires later this month, at which time the House of Representatives must decide whether to sustain or reject it.

“There is speculation that the Democratic Party will join the KIH. I must say, [the KIH and the Democrats] only agree to work together to ratify the Perppu [into a permanent law]. We have never discussed about staying together with the KIH,” the former president said.

“My communication with the KIH to work together is for the good of the nation, as our communication with the KMP is also for the good of the nation.”

Although the remark might come as a shock to many, the Democrats’ ambiguous stance in Indonesian politics came as no surprise to most observers.

The Democratic Party had so far shied away from signing an agreement with the KMP to form “a permanent coalition.”

The only agreement the Democrats signed with the KMP is one to support Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) chairman Prabowo Subianto as presidential candidate and to back KMP politicians as House leaders, experts said.

Yudhoyono on Wednesday called on both sides to end their rivalry.

“The parliament is now split in two. There’s the KMP and there’s the KIH. If the conflict continues then [the House] cannot perform its functions,” he said.

Joko hinted that his meeting with Yudhoyono could provide the basis for a possible union between the Democrats and the KIH.

Though Joko had kept details of the meeting quiet, Yudhoyono said there were two issues discussed during the meeting.

“Actually it has to do with the planned GGGI Summit, which will be held on July 23 next year,” he said referring to the Global Green Growth International, which he chairs.

“Joko said he will come. That was the real reason why I met him.”

Yudhoyono said it was Joko who brought up the Perppu issue.

“He asked for my opinion,” he said. “For me, it’s mandatory to join the fight so that the House can accept and ratify the Perppu into law. [Joko] responded, saying together [the KIH] will also fight to [ratify] the Perppu.”

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(JakGlobe) SBY: Democrat Party is "non-aligned movement", not in KIH & KMP