Jakarta – An official of the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa presidential election campaign team says the Democratic Party has joined with the Gerindra Party-led coalition to support the candidate pair in the run up to the July 9 presidential election.

"It is true that the Democratic Party has joined us," Zulkifli Hasan, council board member for the Prabowo-Hatta campaign team, said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday evening.

Zulkifli, who is also Forestry Minister and secretary-general of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said the Democratic Party members announced the official statement after conducting a closed meeting with the candidate pair on June 1.

Democratic Party chairman President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had previously said that he would not take sanctions against party members voting for either candidate, even though he decided that the party would be officially neutral in the July 9 presidential election, however party officials now feel the Prabowo-Hatta ticket most resembles their own party's platform.

"Starting from now, I want to make all Democrat members and supporters aware that the programs proposed by Prabowo-Hatta most resemble those of our own," Democratic Party executive chairman Syarif Hasan said.

In front of Democrat officials, Prabowo gave a speech to promote several of his programs, which he claimed were a continuation of the programs implemented by the ruling Democratic Party for the last 10 years.

With the additional member, the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa ticket, which has the number "1" slot on the ballot papers, is supported by the Gerindra Party, the Democratic Party, the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Justice Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which could secure 353, or 56.19 percent, of the total 560 seats at the House of Representatives. (gda)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/06/12/dems-members-officially-support-prabowo-hatta.html