JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Conflict within the National Development Party (PPP) will potentially put Prabowo Subianto’s presidential bid into uncertainty as the internal conflict of PPP will impact on the registration of presidential candidates by the General Election Commission (KPU).
Talking to Detik.com on Monday (April 21), Gerindra Chairman Suhardi is hoping that PPP will resolve its internal conflict. He also hopes that what happen in 2009 will not be repeated.
At 2009 presidential race, PPP opted to back off from Prabowo’s side for joining President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s camp.
Prabowo, patron chief and presidential nominee from Gerindra, has so far secured a coalition between Gerindra and PPP. The coalition was declared by Prabowo along with PPP Chairman Suryadharma Ali last Friday (April 17).
But 24 hours after the declaration, a group of PPP leaders held a party’s meeting and decided to reject the coalition with Gerindra. The meeting also decided to temporarily suspend Suryadharma and appoint Emron Pangkapi as PPP’s acting chairman.
Prabowo, the retired Army general, needs additional supports from political parties to pass presidential threshold i.e. 25 percent of national votes or 20 percent of parliamentary seats to be able to run in the presidential election.
The coalition of Gerindra and PPP will likely only get around 19 percent popular votes referred to quick counts of the legislative election. (haryantos@yosefardi.biz)