We still have to find the right time for it."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The chief patron of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Prabowo Subianto has called President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) with regard to building a coalition ahead of the presidential election on July 9.

Gerindras Deputy General Chairman Fadli Zon stated here on Wednesday that the two however, have yet to fix the date for a direct meeting to discuss the idea.

"Telephone communication between Pak (Mr) Prabowo and Pak SBY too place but no meeting is to be held today. We still have to find the right time for it," he confirmed at the party headquarters.

Fadli Zon issued the statement in response to word spreading among media persons that Prabowo, who is also Gerindras Presidential candidate, will meet with the General Chairman of the ruling Democrat Party, SBY to discuss coalition on Wednesday.

The news has been confirmed by Gerindra Media Center but none could ascertain the meeting.

Fadli Zon asserted that his party has already been conducting political communication with a number of parties including the Democrat Party, the Golkar Party as well as Islamic parties such as the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) with regard to forming a coalition.

"Along with Pak Muzani (Gerindra Secretary General) I have met with PKB yesterday evening and with PAN represented by Zulkifli Hasan this afternoon. Pak Prabowo himself has also met with Pak Hatta (PANs General Chairman) and Anis Matta (the President of PKS)," he explained.

He added that his party will continue communicating with other parties until agreement was reached.

Fadli pointed out that the political communication so far was still fluid and the opportunity to build a coalition is still open as the deadline for the registration of presidential and vice presidential candidates is sometime in the middle of May.

"Gerindra wishes to build a strong coalition in the government as well as the parliament. If need be, we will use a lot of stamps for it because an agreement with only one stamp could still be violated," he stated in a joke.

Fadli explained that Gerindra thinks the three biggest parties based on quick counts so far have an equal footing and so possibility for coalition is still wide open.

Gerindra, according to quick vote counts so far, finished third after Golkar Party in the second place and PDIP in the first place in the recent legislative elections on April 9 collecting around 11.7 percent of votes.

The party has therefore to form a coalition with other parties in order to be able to meet the presidential threshold set at 25 percent to assure its presidential candidate.

(Reporting by Rangga Pandu Asmara Jingga/H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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