Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The fallout from a proposed tax graft inquiry has triggered a change in the nation's political landscape, with the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) likely to replace the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) in the ruling coalition.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party signaled its intention to invite Gerindra into the coalition, which has been riven by deep rifts after the Golkar Party and the PKS went against the coalition's stance on the inquiry proposal, which some said could have led to Yudhoyono's impeachment.

The Democratic Party leader in the House of Representatives, Jafar Hafsah, said his party appreciated Gerindra's decision to not support the inquiry bid.

"It is better for the coalition to support the government without the 'help' of the PKS, which has frequently flouted the coalition's ethics and policies," Jafar said.

Gerindra said it had not held talks with the Democratic Party about a possile entry into the coalition, but it signaled its willingness to accept the offer.

Gerindra chief patron Prabowo Subianto said Gerindra was never an opposition party. "If the President heeds into account our suggestions, we will consider [joining the coalition]," he added.

Gerindra, Prabowo said, was an ideological party with populist views, therefore the party fully supported any government policy that upheld public interests. "We are not looking for positions. We will support government policies that are in line with [our views]."

Democratic Party legislator Saan Mustopa underlined that the coalition would remain the dominant force in the legislature without the PKS because with Gerindra, the coalition members – the Democratic Party, Golkar, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) – would still retain 286 of the 560 House seats.

"The coalition will remain strong ensuring the government remains effective," he said.

Asked what incentives Gerindra had to join the coalition, Saan said that would depend on Yudhoyono. There has been widespread speculation that Prabowo would likely be appointed agriculture minister to replace Suswono, a member of the PKS. The portfolio has been in the hands of PKS cadres for the past seven years.

In an internal meeting, Democratic Party legislators requested the President expel the PKS from the coalition and ax its members from the Cabinet since the Islamic-based party flouted the coalition's political ethics to support the proposed inquiry into graft at the tax office.

"We can no longer work with the PKS to support the government and its policies," Saan said after the closed-door meeting Friday.

He said the recommendation had the full support of all 148 Democratic Party legislators at the House and would be delivered immediately to Yudhoyono as chairman of the coalition and its joint secretariat.

Saan said that Golkar legislators – who also supported the inquiry bid – had never informed the coalition it would take a different stance on the proposed inquiry as it had in 2010 for the inquiry into the Bank Century bailout.

"It's understandable the Golkar legislators wanted the proposed inquiry [to clear allegations surrounding Golkar chairman] Aburizal [Bakrie]," he said, adding that Golkar was too big to expel from the coalition as it controlled 106 seats.