"If the opposition constitutes only PKS and Gerindra, it would be certain that the government's policies will easily be passed in the Parliament, as the composition is unable to balance the number of executives supported by majority of the political parties," political observer Yusa Djuyandi stated here on Tuesday.
Djuyandi noted that the opposition parties should preferably have 45 percent of seats in the Parliament.
If only the Democratic Party (PD) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) were to remain with Gerindra and the PKS, as the four parties had supported Prabowo Subianto in the 2019 presidential election, then the checks and balances mechanism would be ideal, he explained.
However, based on a recent political communication, PD and PAN would likely join the Jokowi administration's political party coalition. Hence, Gerindra and PKS will be the only opposition parties, he confirmed.
In the meantime, Pangi Syarwi Chaniago, a political analyst of the Voxpo Center for Research and Consulting, believed that the opposition group plays a paramount role in conducting checks and balances deemed crucial for democracy to thrive.
"The system of checks and balances is deemed necessary to materialize a controlled governance, so that the government in power does not go off track and act arbitrarily," he told Antara here on Tuesday.
Chaniago emphasized the need to view the checks and balances mechanism as an integral and inseparable unit of the democratic system.
He called for the need for opposition parties to strengthen themselves to intensify their role in conducting the critical system of checks and balances.
Currently, the coalition of political parties supporting the government in the Parliament is quite dominant, reaching notably 60 percent.
Any endeavor to recompose the coalition after the election will indicate the coalition's flagging confidence in its own political power, he remarked.
Moreover, a "recomposition" will hint at an effort to silence the opposition, so that they would no longer be critical against the government, he stated.
"Such political intrigue can be averted by forming a permanent and unshakable coalition despite temptation of power sharing," he noted.
Speaking in connection with an offer made to the Gerindra Party to join the coalition of political parties supporting the Jokowi administration, Chaniago advised the party, founded by Subianto, to refuse it, as it would not be conducive for democracy. Moreover, it will degrade the quality of democracy in Indonesia, he added.
Translator: Rangga PAJ, Fardah
Editor: Bambang Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
