Markus Junianto & Hotman Siregar, Jakarta – Vice president-elect Ma'ruf Amin has signaled the possibility that two parties in the opposition coalition may join the governing coalition, but added that it remained President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's prerogative whether to include any representatives of the two parties in his new cabinet.

The Democratic Party and National Mandate Party (PAN) are part of the so-called Adil Makmur coalition that, along with the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and Berkarya Party, supported losing presidential candidate pair Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno in the April 17 election.

Jokowi has already met with Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, who heads the youth wing of the Democratic Party, and Zulkifli Hasan, chairman of PAN.

The president reportedly offered cabinet positions to Gerindra in a reconciliatory gesture aimed at repairing the political schism that formed ahead of this year's election.

The PKS has already vowed to remain in the opposition coalition, even if other parties make an exit.

"It's possible for [the Democrats and PAN] to join. [But decisions] on the cabinet are the business of Mr. Jokowi," Ma'ruf, the former chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Democratic Party deputy chairman Syarief Hasan said on Wednesday that the party would remain in the opposition coalition until the Constitutional Court issues a verdict on the election dispute filed by the Prabowo camp.

"Regarding the Democratic Party's position, up to this moment and until the court makes a decision, we are still with 02," Syarief said in Jakarta, referring to the Prabowo-Sandiaga candidate pair's number on the ballot.

Their legal team has filed for a review of the election result in the Constitutional Court, claiming that massive and systematic fraud resulted in Prabowo-Sandiaga losing the April 17 presidential election.

The court will hold its first hearing of the case on Friday.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/context/democrats-and-pan-may-join-governing-coalition-maruf