Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has led his Democratic party in a political about-face, withdrawing support previously given by party officials for Prabowo Subianto's Merah Putih coalition.

In a video uploaded to Youtube on Thursday night, Yudhoyono said that he wished the Democratic Party to avoid aligning itself with either Prabowo or president-elect Joko Widodo's coalition.

"I think it's better for the political party that I am leading to be independent. It's better for us to become a balancing power and to not join Pak Prabowo's permanent coalition or Pak Joko Widodo's camp. That's the stance the party I lead has chosen," said Yudhoyono.

In the video, Yudhoyono said that he would provide further explanation about his party's stance at a later date.

Yudhoyono's statement was seen as an attempt to clarify the Democratic Party's political stance after several top officials declared support for Prabowo's camp, while others said that the party would establish cooperation with the new government.

Amir Syamsudin, a member of the party's board of advisors, said earlier this week that the party would cooperate with the incoming government.

"The Democratic Party will not burden the president-elect with demands because cooperation is not the same as power sharing. Our cooperation will focus on catering to the people's needs," Amir said.

In contrast to this announcement, last month senior Democratic politican Nachrowi Ramli joined a move aimed at putting up roadblocks in the House of Representatives to thwart Joko's policy plans. Nachrowi co-signed a memorandum of understanding establishing Prabowo's "permanent Merah Putih coalition" – and Yudhoyono did nothing to distance himself from the move.

A month earlier, Democratic party chairman Syarief Hasan said in a press conference that the party was abandoning its earlier commitment of neutrality in the 2014 presidential election.

"The Democratic Party decided and instructed all its members, supporters and associated organizations across Indonesia to fully support and vote for Prabowo-Hatta at the presidential election," Syarief said on June 30 in Jakarta.

Senior party officials Jero Wacik, E.E. Mangindaan, Amir Syamsuddin, Roy Suryo and Yudhoyono's son Edhie Baskoro lent credibility to the move by their presence at the press conference. "This is our official stance," Syarief said at the time.

The party had decided at its national meeting in May to remain neutral during the election, something that Yudhoyono reiterated shortly after the meeting was concluded.

However, he subsequently went quiet, leaving Max Sopacua, deputy chairman of the Democratic Party, to say as recently as Monday that the party had not left the Merah Putih coalition.

"The Democratic Party is still in the Merah Putih coalition," Max said as quoted by newsportal indopos.co.id, adding that Yudhoyono knew about the decision to join the coalition.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/yudhoyono-says-hes-supporting-prabowos-merah-putih-coalition/