Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and National Mandate Party (PAN) Chairman Zulkifli Hasan held a meeting at the Merdeka Palace here on Monday at 2:20 p.m. local time.

Hasan, former chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), is currently one of the deputy chairmen of the MPR.

Jokowi met Hasan after his earlier meetings with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), chairman of the Democratic Party (PD) and Indonesia's sixth president, and retired general Prabowo Subianto, chairman of Gerindra Party, separately. Jokowi and Subianto discussed the possibility of Gerindra joining the government-backed political party coalition during their meeting at the Merdeka Palace, here, Friday (Oct 11).

"We spoke at length on the possibility of Gerindra joining our coalition," Jokowi informed the press following the meeting.

However, it was yet to be decided, he stated.
Prabowo expressed his steadfast readiness to assist the government and affirmed that his party had always give top priority to the interest of the nation and country.

However, if Gerindra is not included in Jokowi's cabinet line-up, the party is ready to conduct the function of checks and balances, he emphasized.

During the closed-door meeting with SBY on Thursday (Oct 10), Jokowi and SBY also discussed the latest political developments in Indonesia and a likelihood of the Democratic Party joining the political parties' coalition supporting the Jokowi administration.

Jokowi was re-elected as Indonesia's president for the 2019-2024 period based on the April-17 presidential election results.

Jokowi and Amin will be inaugurated as Indonesia's president and vice president for the 2019-2024 term in Jakarta on October 20, 2019.

Jokowi and his running mate, Amin, won 55.5 percent of the vote as against 44.5 percent secured by his rival, Prabowo in the 2019 election that was a replay of the contentious 2014 presidential election that exposed a deeper national divide, as Jokowi and Subianto went head-to-head.

Gerindra, the Democratic Party, and PAN had supported Prabowo during the presidential election.

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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019