Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the presidential candidate nominated by a coalition comprising the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the NasDem Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Golkar Party, says he will maintain the coalition without resorting to power sharing.
“I’m the happiest person because this cooperation among our parties is likely to be maintained without having to talk about who is going to become the vice presidential candidate or ministers and so on,” he said Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com at the PDI-P’s central executive board headquarters in Lenteng, Agung, South Jakarta.
“We will continue to safeguard this pure cooperation. We will keep on talking every day for the sake of our nation and people in the future.”
Jokowi explained how he had begun to develop the “coalition without requisites” by meeting NasDem chairman Surya Paloh, who warmly welcomed his coalition plan.
“I asked Pak Surya: 'Are you going to propose several names to be a minister or request a certain number of ministerial posts in the Cabinet?' and he replied, 'No'. He gave the same answer when I asked if he was going to nominate a particular vice presidential candidate. Pak Surya just said: 'I will support whatever is conveyed by Mas Jokowi,' said Jokowi, recalling his meeting with Surya Paloh after the April 9 legislative election.
Starting with that meeting, Jokowi said, he had approached a number of parties with his coalition plan, including the PKB.
Apart from Surya Paloh, PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, the party's secretary-general, Tjahjo Kumolo, as well as PDI-P election head Puan Maharani and PKB central executive board chairman Muhaimin Iskandar were present at the declaration meeting.
In her remarks, Megawati said Jokowi should always practice “trisakti”, the party’s principle centering on political independence, economic self-sufficiency and a strong sociocultural character.
“Pak Jokowi must remember his duties as a PDI-P member besides his position as a presidential candidate,” she said.
Meanwhile, Muhaiman Iskandar said the PKB believed that Jokowi would be the type of leader who could involve a wide number of people in Indonesia to create greater well-being. He added that both the PKB and PDI-P shared a common agenda, which he claimed could help create a solid government.
Surya Paloh gave his assurances that NasDem would fully support the coalition.
Source/Fuente: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/05/15/jokowi-states-he-will-not-...
