When Prabowo Rode a Bike to PKS Headquarters

In a celebration of the Prosperous Justice Party’s 20th anniversary on Saturday (21/4/2018), Prabowo biked with PKS elite members from Gerindra’s headquarters to PKS’ headquarters in Jakarta.

KOMPAS/A PONCO ANGGORO

Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto (wearing hat, center) bikes with Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) elites such as party president Sohibul Iman (front right) from the Gerindra headquarters to the PKS headquarters in Jakarta on Saturday (21/4). The two parties are getting closer ahead of the presidential election in 2019.

Gerindra chair Prabowo Subianto accepted a challenge from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). In a celebration of the latter’s 20^th anniversary on Saturday (21/4/2018), Prabowo biked with PKS elite members from Gerindra’s headquarters to PKS’ headquarters in Jakarta.

Gerindra’s headquarters is located in Ragunan and PKS’s headquarters is on Jl. TB Simatupang, 3.5 kilometers away. Prabowo completed the distance in less than 15 minutes.

Prabowo biked with Gerindra secretary-general Ahmad Muzani and a number of party members. They departed the Gerindra headquarters after a group of PKS members, who had biked from Semarang to Jakarta to commemorate the PKS anniversary, along with a number PKS executive board members such as chief patron Salim Segaf Al Jufri and chair Sohibul Iman, visited Gerindra’s headquarters on their way to PKS’ headquarters.

“We bike together for relaxation and to show that politics is not always tense,” Sohibul said.

Prabowo said, “Biking together symbolizes fitness, freshness and joy. If you are pessimistic, you will not ride a bike.”

According to Prabowo, the only physical problem he has right now is a toothache. He plans to schedule dental surgery to take care of it. At first, the surgery was scheduled at the same time as the biking invitation from the PKS. However, he decided to delay it. “I am afraid of dentists,” he joked.

In his speech in front of PKS members at the PKS headquarters, Prabowo praised the PKS numerous times. He called the party his and Gerindra’s loyal friend.

“In difficult times, they did not leave Prabowo Subianto and the Gerindra Party behind. Thus, it is difficult for me to leave the PKS behind,” he said.

Coalition

Sohibul responded to Prabowo’s statement positively. He also said that both parties would continue their discussion of forming a coalition in next year’s election. These talks are involving small teams from both parties. Gerindra’s team is led by party deputy chief patron Sandiaga Uno, while the PKS’ team is led by party secretary-general Mustafa Kamal.

In these talks, Sohibul said, the PKS said it struggled to get one of nine names approved by the party’s board of patrons as Prabowo’s running mate. “This was a mandate from the board of patrons that we must deal with,” he said.

Apart from a possible coalition with Gerindra, Sohibul said that he had also received an invitation to meet with Democratic Party chair Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The talk would discuss the possibility of forming a new coalition and supporting candidates outside of Jokowi and Prabowo.

Considering all of these developments, it seems that coalition-building ahead of next year’s election remains dynamic. Possibilities are wide open not only on the Gerindra-PKS side but also among political parties in Jokowi’s coalition and other undecided parties.

These parties will continue their work to find the best options ahead of registration for presidential and vice presidential candidates at the General Elections Commission (KPU) on August 4 to 10. The target is not only winning the presidential election but also securing the most seats in the legislative election.