Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Jakarta – Chairman of the National Democratic Party (Nasdem), Surya Paloh, has yet to decide whether his party will align with the new government led by Prabowo Subianto or opt for the opposition.
Surya clarified that joining the new government is not the party's current concern. "Our top priority isn't joining the new government," Paloh stated during a press conference at Nasdem Tower in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He emphasized Nasdem's aspiration for the 2024 Elections to yield a robust government capable of effective governance. "Nasdem hopes for the elections to produce a stable government for efficient administration," he added.
Surya Paloh acknowledged the results of the February 14 elections and congratulated Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, on their victory as the newly elected president and vice president.
Nasdem had initially nominated former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan for the presidency. However, with Prabowo declared the outright winner earlier in the day, Surya's recognition becomes crucial for facilitating a smooth transition of power and encouraging other coalition parties backing Anies to follow suit.
In the midst of this, Anies Baswedan and his running mate, Muhaimin Iskandar, lodged a lawsuit contesting the 2024 Presidential Election outcome at the Constitutional Court (MK) on Thursday.
Previously in February, a meeting was held between Chairman Surya Paloh and President Joko Widodo, suggesting potential alignment for Nasdem. Given Paloh's relationship with Prabowo, rooted in their shared history within the Golkar Party, Arya Budi, Director of Research at Poltracking Indonesia, believes Nasdem's inclusion is highly likely.
"We're aware of the meeting between Surya Paloh and Jokowi. This makes Nasdem's inclusion highly probable, despite their dissatisfaction with the election survey results for their supported presidential candidate, Anies Baswedan," Arya elaborated.
Nasdem secured 9.66 percent of the vote in the legislative election, placing it in fifth position overall, behind the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) with 16.72 percent, Golkar Party with 15.29 percent, Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) with 13.22 percent, and the National Awakening Party (PKB) with 10.62 percent.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/surya-paloh-mulls-over-nasdems-role-in-prabowos-new-governmen