Yerica Lai, Jakarta – Maruarar Sirait, a politician who withdrew his membership in the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in January, is planning to join the Gerindra Party of president-elect Prabowo Subianto.
Gerindra has welcomed his decision to join, and Maruarar said he was in the process of acquiring his Gerindra membership, and pledged to support party chair Prabowo once he was inducted.
"I will follow Gerindra's existing rules to become a new member. Of course, I have to be patient, it is a process," he told reporters on Thursday, as quoted by Tempo.co.
When asked about potential positions he might hold in his new party, Maruarar said he was ready to do whatever task Prabowo gave him, stressing that he would be "Prabowo's subordinate".
"People usually become a regular member upon joining a political party. What will my duties be? That will be up to Pak [Mr.] Prabowo," he said.
Meanwhile, Gerindra lawmaker Habiburokhman recently suggested that the former PDI-P member would be rewarded upon his accession to the party.
"I do not wish to overstep anyone, but the tradition has been to give honorable positions to those who are loyal and contributed to Prabowo's [campaign]," he said.
Maruarar is a son of the late PDI-P senior politician Sabam Sirait, an influential party figure and a close friend of chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, and was a PDI-P member for two decades before deciding to shift his party allegiance.
He left the PDI-P the month before the 2024 general election on Feb. 14 to align himself with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, a nominal PDI-P member whose son Gibran Rakabuming Raka ran with Prabowo as the winning ticket of Gerindra, the PDI-P's rival.
Only days after his departure from PDI-P, Maruarar announced his support for Prabowo and has since actively campaigned for the Defense Minister.
Prabowo-Gibran won the three-horse election by a landslide against PDI-P candidate Ganjar Pranowo and unaffiliated candidate Anies Baswedan, both of who are challenging the election results at the Constitutional Court.