Chairman of the PKS' Executive Board Mardani Ali Sera stated at a discussion on a private radio station in Jakarta on Saturday that the outlook to act as opposition in the parliament was not yet the official stance of the PKS, but most of the party's elites shared the same view and outlook of PKS to remain outside the government.
"The official position of PKS will be decided during the party's executive meeting," he noted.
Despite being outside the government, he pointed out that the PKS elite had continued to establish communication with the government's supporting parties, thereby demonstrating that the PKS was critical but communicated with the government.
This member of the House of Representatives' Commission III noted that the PKS elite had not officially met with the government or supporting parties of the government.
The meeting hinted by Sera was like the one between Gerindra Party Chairperson Prabowo Subianto and President-elect Joko Widodo at the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Station. Then Prabowo met with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's General Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri at her residence.
Chairman of the Democratic Party's Joint Task Force Command Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and General Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan had earlier met with President Widodo at the Palace on separate occasions.
"For PKS, the main aspect is the clarity of the party's stance in choosing a position. PKS explicitly chooses to stay outside the government," he stated.
Sera explained that if one day the PKS elite met with the government or the general party supporting the government and shook hands and held talks, it indicated that the PKS remained friends with the government, but the public could understand PKS' position to remain outside the government.
Regarding the meetings of Subianto, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, and Hasan with Jokowi, he explained that each party had its own policies and regulatory mechanisms.
"The PKS perceives that at the elite level, there are some supporters, who are disappointed, and the disappointment can be channeled to opposition parties," he added.
Translator: Reza Harahap/Eliswan Azly
Editor: Bambang Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
