REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has revealed the reason his party could not join the government coalition. According to him, it was not incumbent President Joko Widodo that hindered the chance to coalesce.
SBY explained that his relationship with chairperson of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and Indonesian fifth president Megawati Soekarnoputri has not been fully recovered. In fact, Jokowi has asked Democratic Party several times to join his administration.
Indonesian fifth President Megawati Soekarnoputri (center) shakes hand with Indonesian sixth President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (right) and wife Ani Yudhoyono (second right) when attending Independence Day ceremony at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (August 17, 2017).
Jokowi has assured him that other parties would surely accept Democratic Party in the coalition. However, SBY saw his relationship with Megawati as an obstacle. "It has always been a question for me, because in reality, our relationship have not fully recovered,” SBY remarked at his residence in Jakarta on Wednesday (July 26) night.
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According to SBY, he had tried to communicate with Megawati for the last 10 years. Megawati late-husband, Taufiq Kiemas has helped SBY to recover their relationship, but that did not work.
SBY was coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister in Megawati's cabinet. He resigned from his post then decided to run in presidential election 2004 as presidential candidate from Democratic Party. SBY won the election against the incumbent President Megawati.
Furthermore, SBY also denied the statement that came from United Development Party (PPP) chairman M Romahurmuziy. Previously, Romahurmuziy stated that Democratic Party did not want to join Jokowi coalition following the failure to meet their demand related to vice-presidential post. SBY expected Romahurmuziy to be careful in making statement.
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