Bagus BT Saragih and Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Amid the escalating tension in the ruling coalition, Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie confirmed his party would remain part of the coalition.
"I am happy to say we have reached an agreement to use the coalition not only for maintaining power, but also to speed up policies needed to develop the country," Aburizal said after meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday to discuss the party's future in the coalition.
Aburizal did not elaborate on the deal reached, but said Yudhoyono had approved Golkar's suggestion to review the structure of the coalition to allow for coalition members to express criticism of the government.
"I asked the President to outline clear channels in the new agreement so the different stances of coalition members would be allowed," he said.
Aburizal said he did not discuss a possible Cabinet reshuffle with the President.
Golkar and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) came under pressure following Yudhoyono's statement last week that certain members of the coalition violated coalition agreements and should be punished.
Yudhoyono said he would communicate with all coalition parties before making any decision on the future of the coalition.
Yudhoyono was widely believed to have been hinting at the two parties as both sided with opposition parties in a recent bid at the House of Representatives to establish a legislative inquiry into corruption at the tax office.
Observers say the PKS was likely to be ousted while Golkar would remain in the coalition as it was too big to be kicked out.
Aburizal met with the President Tuesday after he concluded a Golkar meeting to discuss its stance on the heels of the failed inquiry bid.
Many leaders from Golkar's regional branches continued to support calls to end Golkar's role in the ruling coalition, but gave Aburizal the mandate to make the final decision after meeting with Yudhoyono.
"If Yudhoyono feels uncomfortable with Golkar's presence in the coalition, we will leave the government and join the opposition," Golkar politician Bambang Soesatyo said after the meeting.
As of Tuesday night, the PKS remains the only coalition party not to have been summoned by the Pre-sident.
The President has not met with the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), which are rumored to be possible new additions to the coalition.
Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said the President may communicate with parties outside the coalition in the near future.
A source at the presidential office told The Jakarta Post the President was likely to invite Gerindra to replace the PKS in the coalition. But the source said it would be difficult to invite the PDI-P to join the coalition as long as it was chaired by former president Megawati Soe-karnoputri.
PKS executive member Nasir Djamil said he was certain Yudhoyono would not expel the PKS from the coalition. "This coalition is based on three principles: development, democracy and justice. We have never violated any of those principles," he said.
Nasir said Yudhoyono would meet with PKS chief patron Hilmi Aminuddin to discuss the party's position in the coalition by Wednesday.