Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Just five days after Golkar Party chief Aburizal Bakrie was appointed managing chairman of the ruling coalition's new joint secretariat, a few member parties on Tuesday began questioning the group's unity and its future.
Achsanul Qosasih, a senior official and lawmaker in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, said the commitment to the coalition by some members, especially Golkar and the Prosperous Justice party (PKS), were still questionable.
He cited Monday's election of a Bank Indonesia deputy governor where the Democrat-backed candidate, Krisna Wijaya, lost in the vote held by the House of Representatives Commission XI, overseeing financial affairs.
Instead, Halim Alamsyah, who is backed by the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), won the seat. Achsanul said that both Golkar and PKS had clearly supported the PDI-P candidate during the secret vote.
"We don't need a joint secretariat for the coalition if we always lose these races," said Achsanul, who is the deputy chairman of the commission.
Senior executives of the Democrats have said that Bakrie's role was to bridge the difference between coalition members.
Marwan Jafar, chairman of House's National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, which has been a staunch ally of the Democrats, echoed Achsanul, saying coalition members should support each other and safeguard the government's choice. "They should not just use this coalition power when they need it but shun it when it runs against their interest," Marwan said.
But Golkar's secretary general, Idrus Marham, said the coalition was not created just for its members to capitulate to the ruling party, but was rather a medium for them to discuss and debate any policies to be implemented by the government.
"This coalition is not meant to facilitate directives, but rather better communication and debate between us," Idrus said.
Hazrul Azwar, Chairman of the United Development party (PPP) House faction, also said plurality and differences of opinion must be respected. The coalition must not be seen as an effort to homogenize its members, he said, but he pointed out that a unified voice was important on some key matters.
"We agreed that the six coalition members must have the same voice when it comes to basic issues like our country's sovereignty, the Pancasila principle or the 1945 Constitution," Hazrul said.
But Marwan said that at a meeting of coalition party executives on Thursday night, Yudhoyono clearly stated that all coalition members must fall in line with any coalition agreements on certain "strategic" issues.
"Like the deputy governor issue: It's a strategic and fundamental matter because it's key to monetary and fiscal success. Or choosing a new police chief or attorney general: That's a strategic issue and all must follow the choice," he said.
Desmond Mahesa, a lawmaker from the Great Indonesian Movement party (Gerindra) which is not a coalition member, dismissed the new joint secretariat role as a short-lived scheme. He said that tension and friction between members, especially jealousy following Bakrie's appointment, and conflicting interests, all threatened the group's existence.
"For me, the basis of this coalition is just to prevent one party from revealing other members' transgressions," Desmond said.
Marwan suggested that Yudhoyono periodically evaluate the coalition. "Anyone found to have betrayed their loyalty would be reshuffled out of the cabinet as well as from the coalition. There must be rewards and punishments," he said.
Political analyst Adi Suryadi Cula predicted a quick dissolution of the coalition since each of its members were more prone to defend their own interests.
The difference in basic principles among the members would likely end in a split along the religious and nationalist lines. PKB, PKS, PPP and PAN [National Mandate Party] are more religious-oriented while the Democrats and Golkar are the nationalistic parties.
"Besides, after one year, each of them will be too busy preparing themselves for the 2014 election," he said.