Hatta said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had not come to a decision to ask PDIP and Gerindra to join the cabinet and government coalition.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - National Mandate Party (PAN) leader Hatta Rajasa said he would not speculate on whether the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP) and the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party would be included in the government coalition.

"I do not want to speculate about it because the President has not touched on the matter," he said when marking the official opening of a PAN meeting room at the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Friday.

The event was also attended by the chief of the party`s advisory council, Amien Rais, who is also a former chief of PAN and PAN associate chairman Dradjad Wibowo.

Hatta said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had not come to a decision to ask PDIP and Gerindra to join the cabinet and government coalition and therefore he did not want to speculate about the possibility.

As coordinating minister for economic affairs, Hatta said, he hoped the coalition would become stable and solid so that the government could run effectively.

"We wish the government to run effectively so that pro-people policies will be successful," he said.

Asked whether the participation of PDIP and Gerindra in the coalition and government would make the coalition stable, Hatta said he would not comment about it, saying that it was the President`s prerogative.

Gerindra chairman Suhardi had earlier said, if President Yudhoyono asked Gerindra to join his government he would prepare his best cadres for it.

He said however he would not think much about it because it was still a mere discourse.

"Gerindra right now is focusing on its preparations for the next general elections in 2014," he said.

Amien Rais appealed to President Yudhoyono to take a firm action to expel the two coalition members that have so far always taken a stance against the coalition.

"The government must have courage to take a risk by ousting the parties that have always taken an opposition stance so that the government could run effectively and efficiently," he said.

Amien Rais also supported Hatta`s idea that the coalition needs to be re-ordered.

Golkar Party and Prosperous Justice Party recently voted against the government`s coalition over the call for the DPR to use its right to inquiry to investigate the tax mafia issue. The DPR finally voted against the motion with 166 votes in favor and 164 against it.

Gerindra in the vote supported the government`s coalition causing speculation that the party might be included in the coalition later.

President Yudhoyono recently called for all coalition members to respect the agreements they have signed with him and warned he would give sanctions to those violating them.

President Yudhoyono is the chief patron of the ruling Democrat Party and also chief of the coalition.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011