Prabowo\'s Coalition is Finished

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The coalition of political parties that supported the ticket of Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno in the 2019 presidential election has ended. Prabowo has declared the parties free to determine their future political direction.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — After the Constitutional Court rejected all legal challenges to the 2019 election results, Prabowo Subianto returned the mandate he had received in the presidential election to the five supporting parties. Prabowo also declared the parties free to determine their next political moves.

Following the ruling, some of the parties supporting Prabowo prepared an internal mechanism to determine their future political direction. At the same time, there were intensive lobby efforts between the Joko “Jokowi” Widodo-Ma\'ruf Amin camp and parties that had been supporting Prabowo.
The decision to end the Indonesia Adil Makmur coalition of parties supporting the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno duo was made in a closed-door meeting of around five hours between Prabowo and his coalition parties at his residence in Jakarta on Friday (6/28/2019). Prabowo led the meeting himself, while Sandi was out of town.
KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO
Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto waves to reporters while vice-presidential candidate Sandiaga Uno looks on after holding a press conference at Prabowo\'s residence on Jl. Kertanegara, Jakarta, Thursday (27/6/2019). At the press conference, the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pair accepted the Constitutional Court\'s ruling on the election dispute.
Present at the meeting were the secretaries-general of the parties that had backed Prabowo for president, namely Ahmad Muzani (Gerindra Party), Hinca Panjaitan (Democratic Party), Eddy Soeparno (National Mandate Party-PAN), Mustafa Kamal (vice president of Prosperous Justice Party-PKS), and Priyo Budi Santoso (Golkar Party). PKS president Sohibul Iman was also present at the meeting.
"The task of the Indonesia Adil Makmur Coalition is considered finished, because the Constitutional Court (MK) has made a final and binding decision. The mandate previously given by the parties to Pak Prabowo was returned today," Muzani said at a press conference by the party secretaries after the meeting.
KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO
Members of the legal team of presidential candidate pair number 01 of Joko Widodo and Ma’ruf Amin pray after a hearing on the verdict of the election dispute at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta on Thursday. The panel of Constitutional Court justices turned down all lawsuits on the election results dispute filed by presidential candidate pair Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno.
Determination
On Thursday, the Constitutional Court rejected all legal charges filed by the Prabowo-Sandi camp in the presidential election case. Following the ruling, the General Elections Commission (KPU) will name Jokowi-Amin as the elected president and vice president for the 2019-2024 period on Sunday.
With regard to the Constitutional Court\'s decision, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was congratulated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and other state leaders on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on Friday.
Bilateral meetings between Indonesia and South Korea as well as Indonesia and China were held after the second session of the summit. In both meetings, Indonesia was the party being invited.
Meanwhile, after the MK ruling was read out, Prabowo said he respected the decision. Prabowo also said he would consult with his legal team to determine the next steps. Prabowo did not reject the Constitutional Court\'s decision, as stated in an article entitled "When the Fate of Presidential Candidates is Determined" on page 2, Kompas (28/6).
KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO
The commissioners of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) hug after a hearing on the verdict of the election dispute at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta on Thursday. Constitutional Court’s panel of justices turned down all charges on the election results filed by presidential candidate pair Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno.
In the meeting on Friday, according to Muzani, Prabowo freed the five parties supporting him in the presidential election to determine their next political moves. "Of course, all parties have their own considerations, which others cannot interfere in. Pak Prabowo has granted this to each party," he said.
At Friday’s meeting, there was also an agreement to establish a communication forum in the form of a caucus to maintain communication and cooperation among former coalition parties. This, however, was said to have no bearing on the parties’ future efforts.
Political lobbies
Muzani emphasized that his party\'s political stance could not be determined yet. "It is too early for Prabowo and Gerindra to determine their political stance now," he said.
Prabowo and Gerindra are believed to be in talks with a number of Jokowi associates, such as Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan and State Intelligence Agency head Budi Gunawan.
KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO
Constitutional Court (MK) Chief Justice Anwar Usman bangs the gavel at a hearing to read the decision on the 2019 election results dispute filed by presidential candidate pair number 02 of Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno at the MK Jakarta, Thursday (27/6/2019). The panel of justices rejected all charges.Constitutional Court (MK) Chief Justice Anwar Usman bangs the gavel at a hearing to read the decision on the 2019 election results dispute filed by presidential candidate pair number 02 of Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno at the MK Jakarta, Thursday (27/6/2019). The panel of justices rejected all charges.
According to the secretary-general of the United Development Party, Arsul Sani, the associates took the initiative as envoys to connect Jokowi and Prabowo. Communication was also reportedly taking place at the level of party secretaries-general and vice chairmen.
Meanwhile, a number of other former Prabowo supporters began to prepare internal mechanisms to determine their political future. The Democratic Party, for one, will hold a meeting of its high council, which is led by party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
PAN will hold a national conference in July or August. According to Eddy Soeparno, three political options are mulled by PAN, namely becoming an opposition party, joining the government or taking a neutral stance.
KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO
Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat in Jakarta was open for the public again on Friday (28/6/2019), the day after the reading of the ruling on the 2019 election dispute at the Constitutional Court.
PKS secretary-general Mustafa Kamal said his party would go into opposition to the government, as a balancing function was needed for democracy to work well.
Priyo Budi Santoso said it would be unhealthy for democracy of all parties joined the coalition supporting the government. (AGE/ DVD/ NTA/ LAS/ SAN)

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